Golden Sun: The Voyage of the Dusk Rider
by Jeri Strauss
Summary: UPDATE! Four years after the release of Alchemy, the adepts try to return their lives to normal. But an old enemy resurfaces, intent on destroying Isaac and his new life. When a loved one is kidnapped, he is called to save them, and the world.
1. Prologue

**Shadow:** I came up with the idea for this story last summer when I was helping out for all these weddings at my church. Just watching everyone inspired me in some little way. I never had the time to write it until now. It takes place about four years after TLA. You do the math. Enjoy!

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**Disclaimer:** WARNING! THIS FANFICTION CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING OF THE LOST AGE. Just thought we'd let you know so you don't bitch about how we ruined it for you. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

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**Prologue**

_The wind rustled through the tall sun-dried grasses growing on the slopes of __Mt.__Aleph__. No, it couldn't be the wind. There was a distinct pounding on the earth that echoed the rustling. Someone was coming. But who? Who in their right mind would approach the mountain with the reputation of great danger? _

_A child would. They would come running through the grasses towards the peak, basking in the summer sunshine. Oh how he wished he could taste that sunshine once again. How he wished he could stretch his arms and run through the golden fields like a child once again. The thought crossed his mind as he watched the child collapse in the grass amidst a fit of laughter. He could be free once again. _

_"Help," he whispered. The boy sat up and looked around. His chocolate-brown hair blew in the wind as he gazed around. "Help me." _

_"Hello?" he called out as she stood up. "Is someone there?" _

_It was working. Inwardly, he grinned with delight. "Yes, I am in the earth below you. You must help me," he pleaded. _

_"How can I help you?" the boy asked, turning his gaze to the dirt under his feet. _

_"The mountain," he said. "There is a cavern that leads into the mountain; that is where I am. You will find me. But hurry!" _

_The boy fell for his ruse and quickly headed toward the peak looming ahead of him. As the voice had instructed, there was a small hole wide enough for him to enter. He got down onto his knees and crawled into the gap and into the darkness. "Hello?" he called out. He listened to her voice echo in the cavern around him. Bats screeched and fluttered their wings in the darkness. "I can't see you!" _

_A beam of light shone through the darkness. "This way," the voice beckoned. "Please hurry!" He nodded and followed the light. It led him to another larger cavern where the pale limp figure of a man extended from the rocky wall. His body had seemed to fuse with the mountain itself and all life had disappeared from his body. _

_The child gasped as he ran towards the man. He placed a hand on his alabaster face: cold. His long blue hair hung down and framed his white face. "He's dead," he murmured as she stepped back a few paces. "But then whose voice did I hear?" _

_The man's eyes flew open and stared at the child. He let out a scream as the glazed eyes stared straight through him. Darkness overcame the boy as he fell to the cavern floor, lifeless. _

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"This is the tenth child that's disappeared this month," the mayor of New Vale sighed as he glanced at a missing child poster. "And just when we thought things had gone back to normal."

Things had returned to normal in New Vale, as normal as they could be. It had now four years since Mt. Aleph had collapsed, destroying the town of Vale. Once Isaac and his friends had returned, they helped to rebuild Vale and make it better than it was before; New Vale. Mayor Jerra turned away from the poster and watched the children that were still there play in the warm afternoon sun.

"OK, I can be Isaac. You get to be Garet," one of the boys instructed as he pointed to his friend.

"But I wanted to be Isaac!" the other boy moaned.

"You can be him tomorrow," a girl interjected. "I get to be Mia!" She tapped 'Garet' on the shoulder with a smile. "I cast Ply! Now you're healed!"

The children were lost in a fit of laughter as they played with wooden swords and sticks as they acted out a mock battle. "Look! It's the Doom Dragon!" 'Isaac' exclaimed as a dog padded up to him.

"Flare wall!" 'Garet' shouted as he raised his wooden sword. The dog cocked his head as he watched the children's strange displays of behavior.

"The children admire those adepts," Mayor Jerra sighed. "It all stands to good reason though; they saved us and our world."

"Gramps!" a rough voice shouted as a red-haired man ran up.

"Garet! Good to see you! And on such a fine afternoon," he smiled.

"Give me a break," Garet sighed as he wiped the sweat from his brow. "We just finished re-building town hall. Come see it." He dragged his grandfather down the streets toward the newly build town hall. The old man's face lit up with joy at the beautiful sight.

"I can't tell you how grateful I am to you kids," he smiled, still staring at the building.

"It's no trouble," Isaac smiled as he, Ivan, Felix, and Picard walked over.

"No trouble?" Felix gasped. "It took us a month to get it rebuilt!" he shouted as he whacked him upside the head.

"Well, it's a good thing we got the town hall rebuilt in time for tomorrow's big day," Picard winked in Isaac's direction. Isaac grew tense as he noticed everyone grinning in his direction.

"Stop it you guys!" he laughed nervously. "It's no big deal!"

"No big deal?" Ivan shouted.

"Tomorrow's your wedding day!" Garet laughed as he shook his friend gruffly by the shoulders. "We can't have New Vale looking like a mess on such a special day!"

"Yea, he's right Isaac," Felix added. "A whole bunch of guests are arriving, if they haven't already."

"Speaking of which, I had better go look for my sister," Ivan said as he ran off. "Catch you guys later!"

"I'm pooped," Garet sighed as he let his shoulders slump. "I'm going to go get cleaned up." He grabbed Isaac by the shirt collar and dragged him along with him. "Come on you."

"Here, we'll help get your things moved in," Felix and Picard offered. With that, the three followed the mayor back to his house, leaving the street somewhat empty. Except for two cloaked men who stepped out of the shadows.

"Looks like everyone's got their guard down," one of the men said. "Especially Isaac."

"Of course. Now that my body is back to its full strength I can take my revenge on Isaac," the other laughed.

"You mean that ALL of us can take our revenge," the other added. "That punk's got what's coming to him."

The other man lifted his hand and stared at it for a moment. He could see the intricate patterns his veins traced in his palm, just as they should. It felt good to be alive again. "It's only a matter of time now Isaac," he sneered as he lowered his hand.

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**Shadow:** How's that for a beginning?

**Spark**: We promise things will get much more exciting in the next chapter. Like the answers to these heart-pounding questions: Who are these mysterious men?

**Shadow:** Alex and some other dude.

**Spark**: glares Who is Isaac marrying?

**Shadow:** Mia.

**Spark:** still glaring Who is Ivan's sister?

**Shadow:** Hama.

**Spark:** STOP! And what is Alex going to do to take his revenge?

**Shadow:** That I can't tell you. You're just going to have to wait until chapter two to find out! Leave me a review and I'll consider updating a little faster.


	2. A Wedding Interrupted

**Shadow:** Thanks for the review Favri the Fisherman!

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**Chapter One: A Wedding Interrupted**

The moment Jenna had laid eyes on Mia, she knew what would soon be perfectly obvious: Isaac and Mia were in love. Bitter hatred welled up within her, yet Jenna learned to suppress the green-eyed beast. Instead of doing all that was in her power to tear the lovers apart, she clung to Mia.

During the last leg of their journey to the Mars lighthouse, Mia and Jenna became the best of friends. They would stay up late at night and whisper conversations to one another. Each would watch the other's back during battles. In fact, it was their teamwork that helped to summon the mighty Iris during the final battle with the Doom Dragon. Fire and water; never would anyone imagine them becoming the greatest of friends.

During the building of New Vale, the two friends would drift apart and then find each other again. Perhaps it was because of their difference in personalities, but maybe it was Jenna's resentment rearing its ugly head again. Jenna would help her brother and the men with the construction. Mia would remain indoors and tend to the people who had been wounded in the dawn of the Golden Sun. As a result, Jenna had grown muscular and tan from working in the sun. Freckles were sprinkled across her face like cinnamon which accented her deep amber eyes. Her auburn hair became brighter and more vivid from the long exposure to the sun. Even her personality changed. She became even more of a tomboy, spending almost all her time with Isaac, Garet, and the other boys.

Yet she still found time to spend with Mia. However, it became more apparent at how different the two had become. Mia had grown taller, and more slender. Jenna envied Mia with her cat-like beauty and simple charm. "It amazes me how you two have managed to stay such good friends," Jenna recalled Felix smirking one day. "But I think it's good for you to have someone like Mia as your best friend."

"And why is that?" Jenna snapped. She narrowed her eyes at her brother, who remained unflinching in his opinion.

"You need to hold on to your feminine side, squirt," he explained.

"Oh, so now you want me to be some helpless female? You want me to sit at home to cook and clean and answer to man's every little whim?" she shouted as she stood up.

"Jenna," Felix said. Calling his sister by her real name symbolized seriousness. "Forget what I said. You're a Mars adept. By nature you're going to have a fiery, passionate personality," he continued.

"You can't take something like that back, Felix," she growled as she walked away. Felix watched the retreating form of his sister as she stormed into her house, where Mia was busily cooking away.

"Jenna!" Mia gasped. "You're just the person I wanted to talk to!"

"And I you," Jenna replied less enthusiastically. But she could see the look of anticipation on Mia's face. "What's the big news?"

Mia replied as she thrust her hand towards Jenna. A dazzling diamond ring adorned her fourth finger as it rested on its golden band. "I'm engaged!" she laughed. Jenna felt her stomach drop.

"To who?" She regretted uttering those two senseless words, for she knew she could answer her own question.

"To Isaac!" Mia said, trying to stifle an excited squeal. Jenna wanted to slap Mia across the face at those words. She admitted to the obvious months ago, that Isaac's heart would never be hers. Yet she still didn't want to accept the fact that he had replaced her with someone else. Instead, Jenna did what she never imagined doing.

"I'm so happy for you!" she exclaimed as she threw her arms around Mia.

"I knew you would be," Mia smiled. "That's why I want you to be the maid of honor in my wedding!"

"Oh Mia," Jenna smiled. "I'd be happy to."

Now Jenna sat in her bedroom, brushing out her long auburn hair. She stared at herself in the mirror, wondering if this really was a good idea. A light knock was heard at the door, causing Jenna to set her brush down and hurry over to open it. "Sheba," Jenna stammered.

"Mia needs some help with her dress," Sheba explained. Jenna eyed the tiny eighteen year old. She had grown so much since they had first met. A smile grew over Jenna's face as she remembered her fighting bravely atop the Mars lighthouse. Now, before her stood a calm bridesmaid dressed in her burgundy gown.

Jenna followed Sheba into her parent's bedroom where Feizhi and Hama were fixing Mia's hair. "Jenna!" Mia smiled. "You look great!" She glanced herself over and realized the color of the dress did in fact go along with her hair and eye color.

"You're right, Jenna matches," Feizhi giggled.

"I chose the colors because of that," Mia said as she walked over to her friend. "Thank you for being here for me today." Mia drew Jenna into a hug, a hug that made Jenna feel awful inside.

'Mia's so happy to have a friend like me; a friend who curses the ground she walks on,' she thought to herself.

The door was suddenly thrust open as Garet popped his head inside. He quickly pulled his head out and slammed the door. A muffled "sorry" was heard.

"What do you want now?" Jenna laughed as she walked over to the door. She opened it wide enough to thrust her head through.

"Wow, you look different with your hair down," Garet remarked.

"Get to the point," Jenna sighed.

"You guys had better hurry up. It's almost noon! The ceremony's gonna start any minute now! The guests aren't willing to wait much longer!" Garet babbled.

"Well, you _are_ working with women here," she snickered. "And we demand perfection," she continued as she reached out a finger and playfully tapped the best man on the nose. "Give us a few more minutes and we'll be right out." She winked and slammed the door on Garet's face.

"You always flirt with him like that, don't you?" Sheba laughed.

"Oh come on," Jenna moaned. "I've told you once and I'll tell you again," she said.

"He's like the easy-going brother you never had," everyone droned in unison before breaking out in laughter.

"I bet it's going to be you're wedding that we'll be attending soon," Mia laughed.

'Me? Like Garet?' she thought. 'Never in a million years would I have feelings for that pathetic excuse for a Mars adept.'

"OK, let's get moving," Hama instructed as she handed everyone their bouquets. With giggles, they all rushed out the door and headed down the street towards the sanctum.

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"I can't take this anymore," Isaac sighed as he paced back and forth.

"What? Are you nervous about the ceremony?" Garet asked.

"No, it's hot today!" Isaac replied as he loosened his shirt collar. "Of course I'm not nervous about the ceremony. It's Mia! I can't help but feel comfortable around her. Why should today be any different?"

Garet grinned as he glanced down the aisle. Guests were seated in the chairs on either side, laughing and conversing amongst each other. Ivan, Felix, and Picard were gathered at the back, waiting for the bridesmaids to arrive.

"What's taking so long?" Isaac asked.

"They're women and they demand perfection," Garet said, quoting Jenna. He thought for a moment (yes, Garet thought) before turning to Isaac. "Can I ask you something?"

"Ask away," Isaac laughed, clapping him on the back.

"Do you think I should start seeing Jenna?" he asked meekly.

"Go for it!" Isaac grinned.

Just then, the crowd grew silent as Ivan and Sheba began down the aisle. "It's starting," Garet stated, admitting the obvious.

Over the past four years, Ivan had a growth spurt. No longer was he the short adorable little boy everyone had grown to love. Now he was taller and had not only matured physically, but emotionally. He gave Isaac an encouraging smile as he and Sheba parted and went to their separate sides of the sanctum.

Felix and Feizhi came down next. Now that all was peaceful again, Felix had opened up to everyone. He was however, reluctant to be in Isaac's wedding. Even though he was more friendly, he still preferred to keep to himself. He shot a teasing smile towards Isaac before walking over to Ivan.

A feeling of tension hung in the air as Picard and Hama walked down the aisle. The two adepts seemed rather uncomfortable arm and arm with each other. Isaac couldn't exactly put his finger on it thought.

A rather embarrassed Jenna came down next. All eyes were on her as she approached Isaac and Garet. 'This is my last chance,' she thought. 'I know people will think I'm insane for doing this on THEIR wedding day, but I have to. I'll never be able to go on with my life if I don't.' Garet held his arm out for her and she reluctantly took it. Her eyes still remained fixed on Isaac.

"Isaac," she quickly blurted. He turned to look at her with a quizzical expression. His sapphire eyes stared at her, waiting for a reply. 'No, I can't.' "Good luck," she found herself saying.

"Thanks Jenna," he quickly replied.

The crowd stood up as Mia began to walk down the aisle. "What was that all about," Garet whispered beside her.

"Nothing, it's nothing," she replied. Garet shrugged his shoulders as they watched Isaac and Mia join hands and approach the Great Healer. (Shadow hands Spark tissue)

"Please declare your intentions before the loved ones gathered before you," the man said. Before they could begin, a man from the crowd cleared his throat, interrupted them.

"If you'll excuse me," he said casually as he stood up and lowered his cloak. The crowd let out a loud gasp as they laid eyes on the man.

"A-Alex?" Mia stammered as she tightened her grip on Isaac's hand. "It can't be; you're supposed to be dead!"

"Ah, I was _supposed_ to be dead," he repeated. "Meaning that it was merely an expectation."

"Sir, if you would please save this for later," the healer growled.

"But I wish to say something to the lovely bride," he sneered.

"Spit it out Alex," Jenna snapped.

"I don't think you would want that my dear," he laughed. "But as I was saying. I am hurt that you have found another so quickly Mia. I thought that it was arranged for us, the last remaining full-blooded members of the Mercury clan, to continue on that legacy."

"No Alex. The days of the Mercury clan have come to an end. I have come to accept that and so must you. So if you'll excuse me," Mia shouted.

"I'm sorry Mia, but I'm not taking 'no' for an answer. You see my friends and I are going to make you an offer you can't refuse." (Yes, I ripped that off the Godfather. Go ahead, cut off my muse's head and stick it in my bed.)

A red sphere was cast into the aisle and it exploded in a fiery blast. Smoke filled the area, clouding everyone's vision. "Isaac!" Mia shrieked. Isaac stumbled around in confusion, looking for her.

"Mia! Where are you?" he shouted. He felt a sharp blow to the head as he fell to the ground unconscious.

"I'll be taking what is rightfully mine now," Alex growled as he stood over Isaac's limp body.

"You ASSHOLE!" Garet shouted as he unsheathed and thrust the Fire Brand into Alex's side. Alex turned calmly to Garet as if he felt no pain at all.

"And you defeated the Doom Dragon? How pathetic," Alex sighed as he raised a hand and repelled Garet with an invisible force. Garet flew back and slammed into a wall. "Fool, I am immortal."

"Alex, we should leave here," a raspy voice suggested. The other cloaked figure stepped out of the smoke, Mia clutched in his withered hands. She struggled to break free of his grasp, but it was to no avail.

"You're right. Finishing things now would be far too boring. Let's play with them a bit, shall we?"

The cloaked man nodded and raised his free hand. "Mystic call! Return to me, Anger ball!" The red sphere returned to its master and disappeared, along with the smoke.

"Not so fast!" Jenna shouted once the smoke was clear. "Dragon Fume!" she screamed at the quickly dissipating figures. By the time the stream of flames reached them, Alex and the cloaked man had teleported away, along with Mia.

'There you go you selfish brat. Mia's gone, and now you got what you wanted,' a voice in the back of her mind taunted. With tear-filled eyes, Jenna surveyed the surroundings. Isaac lay motionless on the ground, blood trickling from his head. Garet lay slumped over against the wall, his fire brand still tightly gripped in his hand. What was supposed to be a joyful day, only thought of in dreams had become a nightmare.

'Are you happy now?'


	3. The Apprentice

**Shadow:** Lord Cynic, you have truly touched my heart. :sniffle: I thanketh thee

**Spark:** Oh stop being such a kiss-ass!!

**Shadow:** Shaddup! Thanks again to Lord Cynic for reviewing! I'll make this chapter really good just for you!

:Spark steals Shadow's sandwich:

**Shadow:** NOOOOOO! Give it back! TT :chases after Spark:

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**Chapter Two: The Apprentice**

Mia woke to the sounds of a familiar voice. "Do you think he'll play along? You know how I hate to waste my time." Slowly she opened her eyes and found herself lying on the cold damp floor of a cavern. 'Where am I?' she asked herself. 'I'm supposed to be with Isaac.' But she found herself utterly alone without the strength to move and find him. She searched for the strength to roll over and address her captors, but a nagging voice in the back of her head cautioned her to continue playing dead.

"I am certain of it. You know how he'll do anything for a sack of gold, which is exactly what I'll give him," another voice snickered. His was raspier and had a sinister note to it.

"Yes, but what does he have to offer us? A few rickety ships and a few hundred weak and lazy men?" Mia instantly recognized this voice. She found the strength left within her to hate.

"I'm not suggesting that he provide us with power," the other explained. "We can use them as a weapon–a weapon of fear."

There was a slight pause. Mia could envision a sinister grin growing across Alex's face. "Do go on," he replied, his voice dripping with curiosity.

"We can use their small pathetic excuse of an army to attack smaller villages across the Eastern Sea and bring them in under our control. We can amass them, form an army, and train them. You know just as well as I do that they would never be able to fight innocents. Especially their former allies." He slurred the word 'allies' and it gave Mia the impression of a serpent hissing.

"Oh I do like the way you think!" Alex replied cheerfully. His cheerful mood ended abruptly. Alex stepped around, tossing his head this way and that. "Someone has been listening in on our conversation," he growled. Mia suddenly realized he was glaring right at her. His stare was icy cold and felt as if two icy daggers pierced her back. She heard him step towards her and felt an icy hand on her shoulder. He pulled her over onto her back so that she was now looking up at him. "Well it looks as if Sleeping Beauty is finally awake."

"What do you want, Alex?" she snapped.

"Only to see you again," he cooed as he crouched down to her level. He placed a hand on her cheek and gently caressed it. Mia bit his hand, causing him to draw back with a smile. "My, you've grown feisty!"

"Cut the crap and tell me the truth: why did you bring me here?"

"And where did you learn such crude language?" he gasped. Mia knew it was sarcastic. But another cold stare from Mia placed him back on topic. "Would you really like to know? Because what I am about to tell you may cause you to think ill of me."

"Well, I don't think my opinion of you will change." She watched as Alex stepped back and outstretched his hand. Rings of psyenergy pulsated around him. Except this time, the rings were not blue: they were golden. Mia was so absorbed in the difference in Alex's psyenergy, that she did not realize that she was floating. She soon realized this and pushed her skirts down as they floated up around her. "What is this? What are you doing to me?"

"This is the power of Alchemy. I can do anything I please," he said as he lowered her gently to the floor. "And to answer your second question: I was just helping you up."

"Well, I'm not impressed. You're a little late to start trying to be a gentleman," she spat. "If you brought me here to win my affections, it won't work."

"Mia, you wound me. I am surprised that you think me to be so shallow!" he said in mock surprise. "Although your love would have been a perk."

"Oh get over yourself," she mumbled as she crossed her arms. She heard someone clear their throat behind Alex.

"Forgive my rudeness and allow me to introduce my ally and good friend, the Star Magician," Alex smiled as he gestured towards the cloaked figure.

"Alex, you haven't answered the lovely girl's question: why did you bring her here? You still haven't told me yourself," he began. "I thought we were going to kill Isaac there on the spot!"

"Really? But wasn't it you who insisted upon our departure?" Alex quizzed him while raising an eyebrow.

The Star Magician hesitated. "I thought that they were going to attack. After I saw that man stab you…"

"I apologize for not making myself clear," he sighed. "But I shall kill two birds with one stone and clarify things for the both of you all at once. You see, I thought that it would be brilliant to kidnap Isaac's darling bride."

"And why is that?" the Star Magician asked.

"Why, to play the bait of course!" he laughed as he watched Mia draw in a gasp. "Killing Isaac right off the bat would have been interesting, but too dull at the same time. I want to lure him into my deadly trap and make him pay for those four years. And Mia is the perfect bait. I'll wager that at this very moment, he is already scouring the countryside for us. He would never surrender his beloved to me so easily."

"What do you mean 'so easily'? Isaac will never surrender to you or anyone else!" Mia shouted. "And why do you want revenge on Isaac? He's not the one who killed you!"

"Yes he is," he said calmly. He began to pace around the cramped enclosure of the cavern. "I'm sure you remember that day atop the Mars Lighthouse when the Wise One spoke to you. I do believe his words were something like 'as we speak, there is one climbing to Mt. Aleph's peak seeking this power.'"

"Yes, and that was you."

"Well I did reach that peak and there I bathed in the light of the Golden Sun. Now, I posses the power of Alchemy. But the Wise One appeared and tried to kill me. We fought atop the mountain until the coward commanded for the mountain to swallow me. I remained prisoner to the mountain for four years. Until one day, a boy came passing by. He was such a kind and gentle soul…"

Mia's eyes grew wide with fear and disgust. "You monster!" she shrieked. "It was you! You were the one who killed all those children!"

"Yes, I confess that it was I. Their souls gave me the power to release myself from my rocky prison."

"But if you really had the power of Alchemy, then why didn't you just free yourself?"

"Don't be rude Mia," he scolded. "I'm not finished with my story. The truth is I do not possess all of the powers of Alchemy. Before the Wise One cast me into the mountain, he stole away some of my powers and bestowed them upon your lover."

"Isaac? Isaac was blessed with some of the power?"

"Yes, but it was just enough for the Wise One to paralyze me. Temporarily of course."

"And what do you expect to achieve by killing Isaac?"

"I plan to take back what power is rightfully mine. He is not immortal like I am." A sadistic smile grew across his face and sent shivers up Mia's spine. "And I will give you the honor of watching me kill your dearest love."

Mia clenched her fists and focused her psyenergy. "I won't let you kill him!" she screamed. The blue rings pulsated around her as she cast Ice Missile. Alex countered with his golden psyenergy and stopped the ice shards inches from his face and vaporized them. He outstretched his arms and cast a binding spell on Mia. It seized her body and sent her to her hands and knees. An invisible force crushed Mia. She felt as if all of her psyenergy was being squeezed out of her and tears welled up in her eyes. "Please…stop…" she whimpered. Alex grinned and the pain subsided. He crouched down to her level and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up at him.

"That is what happens when you defy me, love," he sneered. Tears rolled down her pale cheeks as he stared at her. "Do you remember back when we were younger? Your mother was on her deathbed. You were sixteen and I was four years your senior. Do you remember?" She nodded as another tear ran down. Alex wiped it away using his thumb, his hand still holding her chin. "You were excelling in your studies while I lagged behind. Your mother, rest her soul, insisted that I become your apprentice." He leaned in closer, a fraction of an inch separating their noses. "The roles are reversed, love. _You_ will be _my_ apprentice now."

She shuddered as his cold lips brushed against hers.

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**Shadow:** Hopefully that chapter was long enough. I really wanted to portray Alex as this really cold person, both emotionally and physically. Like how I wanted Mia to represent water, and him to be ice, very cold and unforgiving. Mia may have been out of character with her sarcasm (and language!) but I'm going to explain her "change in character" in a later chapter. So I'm glad that I got this chapter done and also since I got my sandwich back!

**Spark:** Meanie…

**Shadow:** Please review and tell me what you think! I appreciate constructive criticism, but that doesn't mean I want a flame.

**Spark:** Yea, I'm in charge of that department!

**Shadow:** Some muse you are…don't forget to push that little button over there to leave a review!


	4. A Shattered Life

**Shadow**: Wow, thanks a lot for all the reviews! I feel so loved! Now I have something to do instead of summer AP homework…

**Spark:** Procrastination and you go hand in hand.

**Shadow:** Yea, I know. Anyways, I actually did some research on these dreams that appear in this chapter and they are apparently very symbolic and actually represent something that each of the characters are going through. Once again, I will leave you guessing until a later chapter.

**Spark:** Thanks to the following people for reviewing!!!

Navy Blu: I'm glad you're enjoying it!!! Shadow doesn't watch Yu Gi Oh, but she does know who that Pegasus guy is. I guess the two are quite similar…

Chaos commander: Thanks for the review!! I'm also glad you are enjoying the story!

Zero84: Yes, the Star Magician is the Mercury boss who guards the ultimate Mercury summon, Azul. He is a really challenging boss, but the battle is entertaining. What's really fun is changing all your characters to really weak classes and then seeing how long it takes for them to die. It sounds cruel…I know.

Lord Cynic: We're here!!! Yea, we don't like Alex very much either. He'll get his just desserts…trust us.

Abstractmind: Thanks! It's fun making Alex extra-evil!

General Failure: Too true…it always takes a while to weed through the not-so-good ones. But I am honored that you think our fic is one that's worth reading! :gasp: Thanks for the compliments!! Trust us, the adventure is coming. And just because you're so cool, we'll make the next chapter extra-action-packed just for you!

**Shadow:** If you review after this is posted, thanks to you as well!!!

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Chapter Three: A Shattered Life

_It was a calm and beautiful day aboard Picard's Lemurian ship. Jenna stood leaning against the rail taking in the warm glow of the sun and the fresh salty air. The sea was calm and seemed to stretch on for miles. She longed to dive into the ocean and go for a swim. Nothing could go wrong. _

_But things did go wrong. There was a violent splashing sound below her. She gripped the rail and peered down into the blue water. She felt her stomach drop when she saw who was struggling in the waters below. _

_"Isaac!" she screamed. She watched helplessly as he struggled to keep his head above the water. His head would disappear beneath the water for a few moments, air bubbles clinging to the surface of the water. Then he would emerge and gasp for breath. She wanted to jump in and save him, but she couldn't. Her legs wouldn't move. _

_"Isaac!" she screamed again. There was the sound of a rustle of wings above her head. She looked up and saw a large flock of seagulls flying above and around her. They landed on the ship, using everything they could find as a perch. With their beady eyes, they watched her as if waiting to pass judgment on her. She turned back to Isaac. But he was gone. _

Jenna bolted up in bed drenched in a sweat that made it seem as if it was she who had been drowning and not Isaac. She heard Felix's distinct stomp coming down the hall and the doorknob turning. He poked his head in. Even though the darkness concealed his face, she could tell he was looking at her.

"Are you alright? I heard you screaming," he whispered.

"I'm fine. I just had a dream," she replied as she wiped the hair that was plastered to her forehead by the sweat.

"You were calling out Isaac's name," he continued. Jenna felt her face grow even hotter, the sensation traveling down her neck and arms. She was glad that it was dark, for she was certain that her whole face and arms were beet red.

"I was?" she asked, pretending as if she didn't know.

"I'm sure you woke him up with all your screaming," he snickered as he stepped inside her room. She felt his weight at the end of her bed as he sat down next to her. "I'm no wind adept, but I know what's on your mind. You love him, don't you?"

Jenna turned away from him. "Is it that obvious?" she whispered in her tiniest voice.

"Yes." He watched Jenna's silhouette crane her neck back and stare at the ceiling. As long as he had known her, she always did this when she was embarrassed. He did the first thing that came to mind and pulled her into a hug. "Listen, I know you can't help what you feel but you have to use good judgment in times like these. You've got to just let things go."

Felix hadn't come into her room and held her like this for who knows how long. They must have been much younger, maybe eight or nine, she thought. 'He's right. I should use good judgment…' She found herself saying "I know." 'But he's also right about not being able to help what I feel.'

**

* * *

**

"I feel completely responsible," the Wise One sighed. The Valeans were still cleaning up after the mess that Alex left behind. Along with the rubble, they cleared away Isaac's joy that was supposed to be had. Garet was staying with him, trying to get him to eat and go about his life. It had been two days. Garet knew that Isaac wanted to go look for Mia, but lacked the motivation to do so. He didn't blame him. Not one bit.

"Why? You weren't the one who caused all of this to happen," Garet said in an attempt to reassure the guardian.

"No, in a way I am responsible." He cast his eye down in shame.

"I don't quite understand how, though," Ivan said as he stood up next to Garet. The Wise One had called all the adepts to a meeting. Apparently there was some 'explaining that needed to be done.' The Wise One felt like a guilty child and the adepts were his parents, ready to sentence him to a just punishment. The original party was there, save a certain Mercury adept, along with Hama and Fehzhi.

"Well, as you all know, the Golden Sun did in fact rise. You saw its light from Prox," the Wise One explained. If he could pace, then that's exactly what he would be doing. "Unfortunately, Alex did reach the peak in time and he received the powers of Alchemy.

"However, I did stop him in time and we got into a fight. I didn't want to admit it, but for a few moments, his power surpassed even my own. I did the only thing I could do: I took away just a bit of his power, enough to paralyze him and command the mountain to swallow him. And that was that."

"What about that power you stole? Where is it now?" Felix asked.

"There is one man who possesses this power. And he alone is the only one who can stand up to Alex," he replied. "Do you know of whom I speak?" Silence. "He is sitting right next to you Garet."

All eyes were fixed on Isaac. "Isaac?" Jenna gasped.

"He may not have known or felt it, but I bestowed some power upon him. It's not much though, but it is enough to stop Alex," he continued as he bobbed in the air above them. He gazed up at the ceiling as blue rings of psyenergy pulsated around him.

"Is something wrong?" Ivan asked, a nervous tone in his voice.

"You must hurry," he stated as the rings disappeared. "As we speak, Alex is gaining allies, and powerful ones at that."

"Where are they?" Garet demanded as his hand went to the hilt of the sword.

"I cannot pinpoint their exact location. Alex has the ability to warp you know. Because of that, he does not remain in once place for long."

"What about Mia?" Isaac asked. Everyone was shocked at hearing the Venus adept speak. He hadn't said much since the wedding was crashed so this was a pleasant surprise for the party.

"She is safe, don't worry," he said reassuringly. "But listen to me, it is important that you act quickly and find yourself as many allies as you possibly can. I know you have many scattered across the Eastern and Western Sea."

Isaac stood up and faced his friends. The usual glimmer had vanished from his sapphire eyes, leaving hollow and empty pools of pale blue. "Give me the teleport lapis. I'll get Mia back and stop Alex. I don't want to drag you guys into another mess." Ivan felt his empty stare focused on him. The stone began to feel heavy in his pocket. In an effort to please his friend, he began to reach for it.

"Ivan, don't give it to him!" Garet yelled as he grabbed the Jupiter adept's arm. He turned to Isaac. "Are you nuts? Alex will kill you if his cronies don't get to you first!"

"Garet, this is none of your business! I can take care of myself!" he shouted back. Vibrancy returned to his eyes as he stared his childhood companion down. His eyes remained fixed on Garet's as he extended an open palm towards Ivan. "Ivan! The teleport lapis, please!"

Ivan glanced back and forth between his two friends. Despite the fact that Isaac and Garet were best friends, there were times when conflicts between the two arose. Ivan would always feel like he was caught in the middle; wanting to please both Isaac and Garet. How did we ever manage to get through these scuffles? he wondered. Then it dawned on him: Mia. Mia was always there with calm and reassuring words that would always end the argument. But she wasn't there.

"Don't bring Ivan into this!" Garet snapped. "I can understand you being depressed; I would be too. But this isn't an excuse for you to throw all common sense out the window!"

"Oh you're the one to talk! You never _had_ any common sense!"

It was more than he could bear. "Stop it both of you!" Ivan shouted as he stood between them. "Isaac, listen to Garet. You'll get yourself killed if you go alone. If you're going to be bold and unreasonable, then I'll be bold and unreasonable with you."

Isaac's scowl softened to a smile as he placed a hand on Ivan's shoulder. "You've got your own life to lead now. I can't ask you to come."

"You didn't ask him to come," Jenna chimed in. "And you didn't ask me, so I'm coming too." She looked over at her brother for approval, but was met with a scowl.

"You're not going anywhere, Jenna," he said coldly.

"Felix, I'm old enough to make up my own mind as to where I want to go. If it makes you feel better, then you come along as well," she snapped back, placing her hands on her hips.

"Good, that's just what I'll do."

"We'll spare you the trouble and melodrama by telling you that we'll come along as well," Sheba added, representing the Jupiter adepts.

Isaac turned back to Garet, his stare turning cold once again. "What?" Garet asked. "I thought I didn't have enough common sense."

"Come on Garet," Picard said as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll all take my ship, the Dusk Rider. It'll be just like old times."

Both Garet and Isaac opened their mouths to speak, but the Wise One interrupted. "Good. Now I would recommend leaving first thing tomorrow morning. As I said before: do not waste time in gathering allies. You will need them. I wish you luck." The Wise One floated up towards the ceiling and disappeared.

Tension hung in the air between the two friends as they stared each other down. They had wounded each other's egos greatly, wounds that could be easily seen. "Well, I guess we should start packing," Felix said in an attempt to break the uneasy silence.

"But we don't have any idea where to start looking," Garet sighed. "Remember what the Wise One said: Alex can warp and he…"

Isaac cut him off. "We know what he said," he said coldly. "I guess you weren't paying attention. He said that we should be more concerned with gathering allies."

"I was paying attention!" he shouted. "Stop making me out to be so stupid!"

"STOP!" Jenna shouted. "How old are you two? Twenty-two! But maybe you two forgot, so I suggest you both remember to act your age!" Her face turned a bright red as she stormed out of the sanctum.

* * *

_'That sound? What is it?' She opened her eyes and found her self floating deeper and deeper into the sea. Her lungs burned for oxygen as she began to struggle in an attempt to swim to the surface. She gradually began to make her way towards the surface, the light getting brighter and brighter. _

_She needed air, now. Her hands reached for the glistening surface, but it was out of reach. 'I'm…I'm going to die!' _

_A hand plunged into the water. She didn't know who's hand it was, nor did she care. She took it. It was warm and she suddenly felt unafraid and safe_.

Jenna opened her eyes and took a large gulp of air. She sat up as she panted to catch her breath again. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she placed a hand to it. "What was that all about?" she whispered to herself as she flopped back down on her pillow. "Just a nightmare."

* * *

**Shadow:** Have you ever had a dream where you wake up and realize you've been holding your breath? That's what I was going for.

**Spark:** You're weird!

**Shadow:** I'm serious! You'll find out who it was that saved Jenna. And before you guess, YOU'RE WRONG! I know what all of you are thinking…

**Spark:** For once, I agree…

**Shadow:** Good! Please review!


	5. The Dusk Rider

**Shadow**: I got very little sleep last night…:grumbles: I am not a happy camper…

**Spark:** I am! You know why?

**Shadow:** No, but I know you're going to tell me anyways.

**Spark:** You did one chapter of your AP homework!!! I'm so proud of you!

**Shadow:** You are? :raises eyebrow:

**Spark:** No.

:Shadow runs away and cries:

**Spark:** Anyways, thanks for the reviews:

Daidaro: Mud and flamehsipping are the only way to go in my opinion. Yea, it is odd how Alex is always the scapegoat, but I guess GS needs one. We should do a fic about how great Alex is! That would be original…

Chel Bel: Wow, you're awesome! You get a cookie! Thanks so much! Trust us, we will keep writing!

Lord Cynic: Oh there are lots of things they don't do often, but we won't write about that. :winks:

Navy Blu: Yea, dreams are kinda weird. Shadow likes using lots of dreams in her stories. We're glad you like the story!!!! (And the dreams)

General Failure: Aww, that's too bad that you don't like to write. It's really fun to do. Sure it takes a lot of work to get good at, but it's worth the effort. I mean you should have seen some of Shadow's earlier stuff…it was pretty bad. :Shadow throws a shoe at Spark: I'm glad you're enjoying our story. It means a lot hearing stuff like this.

**Spark:** And just so I don't confuse everyone, I'm responsible for handling all the reviews. Shadow isn't speaking in the third person. :looks around for Shadow: Where is she by the way?

* * *

**Chapter Four: The Dusk Rider**

An odd feeling of nostalgia came over Jenna as she stepped aboard the Dusk Rider. Had it really been four years since she had felt the wooden planks of the deck below her feet? She smiled as she looked around. Everything was exactly the way she had left it. The cannon still sat in its original position near the mast. She cautiously peered inside and still found remnants of the Magma Ball in the barrel. The tiller was still polished and just as bright as it was four years ago. She remembered standing next to the cannon and staring at her brother steer the ship when Picard took a break. She could still see the faces of her friends scattered across the deck of the ship as they kept themselves occupied during their ocean voyage.

A soft chirping sound came from her pocket as Cannon, her favorite Djinni, popped his head out. Jenna picked him up and held him out so he could survey his surroundings. "See over there?" she asked as she pointed to the prow. That's where Sheba and I would always sit and talk when we were sailing in the Eastern Sea. She craned her head up to look at the crow's nest. Cannon did the same. "And Ivan would always climb up there to be the lookout." He seemed amused with Jenna's tour of the ship. "And back there is where Isaac, Garet, Felix, and Picard would always practice their sword-fighting." She paused as she remembered the times she spent back there, watching them and learning how to use a blade herself. "I always used to sit there with Mia. When they would practice, we would make bets to see who would win." Cannon leapt up to her shoulder and nuzzled her neck.

"Jenna!" she heard Sheba call out. She turned around to find the dainty Jupiter adept run up to her. "Did you pack up all your things?"

"Yea. They're down in our cabin," she replied. "You remember? The one we used to share!"

"Oh, it'll be just like old times! Except now we have Hama and Fehzhi with us! It'll be so much fun!" Sheba laughed, her violet eyes sparkling with excitement. But Jenna wasn't so thrilled. She wanted it to be just her and Sheba. It was what she was used to.

"You two always run too fast!" Felix sighed as he climbed aboard. The rest of the party followed close behind as they gathered onto the deck of the ship. No one had given them any orders, but they filed down below decks, put away their belongings, and returned to the main deck for a meeting. Picard stood at the helm.

"Alright, we set sail for Tolbi and Lalivero. But before we leave, we need to get ourselves organized," he said.

"We won't even bother," Felix sighed. "This is your ship and therefore you are its captain." Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Fine," Picard said. "Now in order for us to fly, we're going to have to work in shifts in order to power the Hover Jade. Isaac should be excluded from this job."

"What? Why?" he asked.

"You need to conserve your psyenergy for when we find Alex. We never know where or when he will appear," Hama instructed. "The four of us will power the Hover Jade when you need to fly," she continued, volunteering the four Jupiter adepts.

"Now that everything is squared away, let's go!" There was a cheer as the rope ladder was pulled up. Felix disappeared below decks with the Black Crystal as the adepts manned their stations.

Picard gripped the wheel as he waited for his ship to awaken. The feel of the mahogany wheel felt good and natural between his fingers and palms. "Ivan!" he shouted over his shoulder.

He peered down from the crow's nest, his blonde hair falling into his face. "How does it look up there?" Picard asked.

"All clear! The river looks plenty wide enough," he replied. The ship suddenly began to rock and a low humming sound could be heard.

"We're moving!" Jenna laughed as she peered over the side. She watched as the ship glided through the water, propelled by an invisible force. Mount Aleph and New Vale disappeared over the horizon as the ship made its way downriver. It hadn't occurred to her until now how dangerous their journey was. She realized that she may never see her home again. It was the same feeling that she felt when they sailed away in Saturous and Menardi's ship five years ago. In fact, this was the same way she looked at Vale.

She jumped as a hand was placed on her shoulder. "Sorry if I scared you," Garet said as he back away a little.

"No, it's fine," she sighed.

"You seem lost in thought. Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No, I was just remembering how Vale looked when I left the first time with Saturous and Menardi," she explained. "Except, then Mt. Aleph was erupting and now it lays dormant. Back then I felt confused and alone. But right now, I feel a bit more comfortable knowing that I'm with friends."

"What do you mean 'a bit more comfortable'?"

"When I left the first time, I didn't know where we were going or what dangers lay ahead of us. Now I know what we're getting into. The fact that I'm with my friends comforts me, but only to a certain extent. All of us still run the risk of getting killed." She glanced over at Isaac, who was standing across from her on the deck. He too was staring out at Vale longingly.

"Don't worry, we'll all make it back in once piece," he said in an attempt to reassure her. But inside, he was afraid too. "Alex is the only one who has to be worried."

Jenna let out a laugh. 'For being a bit of an idiot, he still knows how to take the tension out of a situation,' she thought to herself. "I don't think I ever told you this, but you're like the easy-going older brother that I never had," she smiled as she looked up at him.

Garet's face turned a lovely hue of red. "Well what's wrong with the brother you've got?"

"Nothing's wrong with him. It's just that when he 'drowned', you were always there to comfort me. And then when we met up in Contigo, you were still exactly the same way. So for me, it's like I have two brothers instead of one."

His face turned even more red. "What brought this on?"

"I don't know," she mused as she tapped her chin with her index finger. "The moment felt right, I guess."

**

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**

**Shadow:** Meh…I'm too tired to write a real chapter. This can be just a random filler chapter. Sorry about the delays folks. :collapses in bed:

**Spark:** We'll get to the next chapter once Shadow gets some sleep. We promise!


	6. Unspoken

**Shadow:** OK, I'm feeling much better now. Sorry for the wait!

**Spark:** Yea, there's nothing worse than a moody, sleep-deprived authoress.

**Shadow:** You've got that right. Anyways, I've been debating over one pairing for this story. The great dilemma arises: lighthouse-shipping, or wind-shipping? I'm a fan of either pairing. I'd even pair Sheba with Picard if I felt like it. But I'm not going to, don't worry. Anyways, I've thought and thought about this.

**Spark:** And she's finally reached a conclusion…:drumroll:

**Shadow:** And the pairing is…:opens envelope: WINDSHIPPING!

**Spark:** Sorry lighthouse-shippers. But our other AU fic, Canticle of the Sun is lighthouse. Go read that. Plus, we're going to write some other stuff in the near future with lighthouse-shipping.

**Shadow**: Anyways, I know this is kinda early in the story for Wind-shipping, but it's not going to be really…what' the word I'm looking for…dramatic at this point. Plus, you guys requested more flame-shipping, so I must do as you ask of me!!

**Spark:** Thanks for putting up with Shadow's lack of sleep:

Lord Cynic: Hehe, that's a good idea for a fic!

Navy Blu: Sorry about the general lame-ness of that chapter. Hopefully this chapter will make up for it!

General Failure: Thanks for understanding!!! There will be some heavy-duty flame-shipping coming up, I promise. Shadow did get some sleep so this chapter won't be as sucky.

Daidairo: Yes, Shadow and Isaac shared that in common, lol.

Chel Bel: You should feel special! Anyways, thanks for reviewing!

Cerecquaza: I like the way you think…:jots review down on post-it note: We shall consider adding this to the story! It's a very good idea! Thanks a bunch for the review!

**Shadow:** Since I have more energy today and you were all so patient with me…COOKIES FOR EVERYONE! :tosses cookies to reviewers:

* * *

**Chapter Five: Unspoken**

"What do you mean you won't let us take any men?" Felix shouted. "Didn't you hear me?"

"Yes, I heard you perfectly well," Iodem replied coolly. "But I can't let Tolbi's finest be sent away to their death! Unlike you and your friends, they have no psyenergetic powers and wouldn't last one minute against another adept."

"But those 59 seconds that they do last may mean the destruction or salvation of this world," Felix explained in a firm voice.

"I'm sorry Lord Felix, but I cannot give you any men," Iodem said bluntly. "And that's final." Felix gave a snort, turned on his heels and stormed out of Iodem's palace. He was so overwhelmed with rage that he didn't even notice his own sister standing in front of him.

"Well Felix? What did Iodem say?" she asked as she ran to catch up with him.

"We have nothing," he grumbled. "That bastard didn't even give us one of his squires."

Jenna let out a frustrated sigh. "I _told_ you that Isaac should have gone in and dealt with this! He said he knew Iodem better." By that point, the two siblings had caught up with the rest of the party in front of Tolbi Springs.

"What happened to you, Felix?" Garet asked. "It looks like you just stepped in rancid cat barf."

"Thank you for that lovely visual aid," Felix answered dryly.

"I guess he didn't give you the men," Picard said with a raised eyebrow.

"Isaac, were the people of Tolbi ever this rude? Or are they just plain stupid?" Felix asked caustically.

"I'm sure Iodem has his own reasons for not giving us the men," Isaac answered reassuringly. "Besides, Tolbi doesn't owe us any favors and I'm sure Iodem is still mourning the loss of Lord Babi."

"Well I certainly wouldn't," Sheba snorted. "Just being here makes me sick. I'm sure there are plenty of other towns and villages that would be willing to help. We haven't been to Kalay yet…"

"That storm on the Karagol blew us off course a bit," Picard explained. "But we can stop over in Lalivero and ask for aid there. You can pull a few strings for us, can't you, Sheba?"

Sheba gulped. It suddenly dawned on her that she hadn't returned home in over five years. She wasn't even sure if Faran would remember her. "I guess so," she stammered.

"So much for Tolbi then," Garet sighed as they headed towards the docks.

**

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**

The sound of seagulls woke Sheba from her uneasy sleep. She found herself in an empty cabin, with all the other bunks made neatly. "Oh no! I've slept too long!" she whined as she leapt out of bed. Her feet slapped against the wooden floor as she ran to the window. A tall tower made of crimson bricks rose from the cliffs, an unfamiliar sight. The Venus lighthouse could be seen in the distance with its green beacon shining brightly.

Once she was dressed, she ran up onto the main deck where everyone was gathered. "Where are we?" she asked as she examined the tower once again.

"We're almost at port," Jenna answered.

"In Lalivero?"

"Yes. And I guess they finished building Babi's Lighthouse. Only they were too late," Jenna finished.

Sheba wrung her hands as the coastline grew closer. In her heart, she knew that she should be feeling happy at returning home again after such a long time. Instead, she dreaded returning to Lalivero. She already knew what was going to happen; she had seen it in a dream.

"Their port is too shallow," Picard said as the boat slowed its pace. "If I try to bring it into port, we run the risk of hitting a sandbar. We'll have to take the rowboats to shore."

Isaac and Felix dragged the covers off the long rowboats. They hadn't been used at all since the wood was still smooth and didn't show any watermarks. "We can only take six, three per boat," Isaac explained. "We'll use the extra room to stock up on provisions."

"I'll stay on board," Picard said, still gripping the tiller. Hama and Fehzhi also volunteered to stay on board. (They'll keep him company! :wink wink:)

By the time they had reached the rickety piers of Lalivero's harbor, a crowd had gathered to stare at the winged ship anchored offshore. The crowd let out a gasp as Sheba stepped out of the boat and faced them. "Lady Sheba! You have returned to us!" a woman exclaimed.

People shot questions at Sheba. "Where have you been for so long?" "Was your journey difficult?" "Did they mistreat you, milady?" "Did they just now release you?"

"I'm fine, don't worry," Sheba replied with a weak smile as she backed away from the crowd.

"Wait, isn't he the one?" a man shouted as he pointed towards Felix. "The one who kidnapped you?"

An old woman stepped up to him and stared him in the face. She squinted, her face wrinkling up as she studied his features. "He is!" she screamed, causing Felix to jump. "Arrest him!"

Men seemed to appear out of nowhere and seize Felix, grabbing him by the arms and binding his wrists together. He struggled to break free, but he was outnumbered. "Sheba! Do something!" he pleaded as he tried to kick them away. Isaac and the others tried to fight the crowd but it was to no avail.

"Stop it! He's my friend!" she shouted over the crowd. "It was a misunderstanding! He's my friend!" No one heard her. They were obsessed with dealing what they believed to be justice.

"No one kidnaps Sheba and gets away with it!" the men shouted as they dragged Felix away to the jail. He kicked and fought his way over, shooting helpless glances at his friends. But they were lost in a sea of people, at the mercy of their current. A wave of townspeople pushed them over to Faran's home, the last place Sheba wanted to be.

"What the hell is going on?" a maid shouted as she opened the door. Her jaw dropped when she saw Sheba standing on the steps. "Sheba!" she gasped as she wrapped her chubby arms around the girl and showered her with kisses. "Faran! Faran!" she screamed. "Sheba has returned! Lord Isaac has brought Sheba home to us!"

Only a few seconds passed before Faran burst through the doorway. Silence passed as Sheba and Faran stared at each other. Faran had grown much older, his dusty blonde hair flecked with gray. His moustache had grown into a beard which was a lighter shade than his hair. A few wrinkles could be seen on his face as his gape became a smile.

He too noticed how Sheba had changed. Her hair had grown longer, now down to her shoulders. She was taller and more slender; her travels had given her a muscular yet feminine figure. Her eyes still flashed that vivid hue of violet that her adoptive father found so lovable about her. "My daughter," he sighed as he wrapped her in a hug. However, Sheba's arms hung at her side as he embraced her. "Where have you been all these years?"

"I've been traveling with Fe-, I mean Isaac and his friends," she said, correcting herself. She didn't want to get him into any more trouble than he already was. Faran was about to say something before Sheba interrupted. "I'm sorry if I've worried you, but I know that this journey was my destiny. I've learned many things about the world, and myself."

Faran searched for the words, but they would not come. So instead, he said, "please, come inside." He gestured to the others and they graciously followed them inside, leaving the villagers to return to their chores.

He brought them into his seating room. The walls were lined with bookshelves and every blank space of wall was covered with maps and tapestries. He gestured for them to sit down. "I understand that you have completed your quest, Isaac," Faran said once everyone was comfortable. "Sheba played an important role, did she not?"

It wasn't entirely a lie: "Yes, she helped me and my friends get into Jupiter Lighthouse." Ivan looked at him imploringly, mind reading him to give credit where it was due. 'She helped _Felix_ get into Jupiter Lighthouse,' he thought to Ivan.

"I see," he nodded, as he motioned to a servant. "And you have kept your word by bringing her home to me. You have my thanks. Whatever you need or want, you shall have."

They all exchanged glances. "I hate to sound imposing, but that's what we came here to talk to you about…" Isaac began.

"You're not imposing!" Faran laughed with a wave of his hand.

"We need you to give us your strongest men for a dangerous journey," Isaac said with a serious tone. "Weyward is on the brink of destruction again and we are searching for the strongest men we can find."

"How many men do you need? Lalivero has grown quite large over the past few years and our army is quite strong. Name a number and you shall have it."

"Are you really serious?" Jenna stammered.

"You kept your promise and brought Sheba home to me," he continued as he wrapped an arm around her. "It's the least I could do."

Isaac and Faran began negotiating as they leaned across a table. For him and the rest of the group things were working out as planned. However, Sheba felt extremely uneasy. Ivan noticed this and began a 'conversation' with her.

'What's wrong?' he thought. His voice in her mind snapped her out of her daze.

'It's nothing,' she replied.

'Don't lie to me!' He focused his thoughts and searched the deeper recesses of her mind. His eyes grew wide when he stumbled across a certain fear of hers. 'Do you really think he's going to make you stay, do you?'

'I saw it in a dream,' she insisted. 'I haven't been wrong in any of my predictions yet.'

'For your sake, I hope you are.'

"So you want one-hundred and fifty?" Faran asked Isaac. He replied with a nod. "Then it shall be done. It will take about three days in order to ready the ships and my men. But you are welcome to stay with me in my home."

"You're forgetting one thing," Ivan interrupted. All eyes were focused on him. "Sheba's coming with us too."

"Ivan!" Sheba hissed between clenched teeth. 'I can handle this on my own!' she scolded.

"I cannot allow that," he stated plainly. "I will give you my entire army and even money to hire mercenaries. But I will not hand over my only daughter!"

"We can't leave without her," Ivan insisted. "She's one of us!"

"Ivan is right, Faran," Isaac began. "Sheba is a valuable ally of ours."

"Well," Faran replied with a huff. "I'll make you an offer: you can have the soldiers, or you can take Sheba. Take one or the other."

"Stop it!" Sheba shouted as she stood up from her seat. "Is that all that I am to you? Just some item for you to barter with?" Tears welled up in her eyes as she glared at Faran. "And don't call me your 'only daughter'. I'm not your child!"

"Sheba, wait!" Faran cried as he watched her run out of the room. He turned to face a room full of worried Adepts. An uneasy silence fell over the room.

"You should go to her," Ivan said.

"Me?" He hung his head and sighed. "I've tried and tried all her life to be a father figure, but she's always been able to see right through me. You are her family now; one of you should go."

Ivan silently rose from his seat and walked down the hall. Once everyone had recovered from the shock of seeing Sheba storm out of the room, Jenna spoke up. "I need to speak with you about my brother," she said to Faran. Her voice had a sharp edge to it, making Faran flinch. "The people of Lalivero threw him in prison!"

"Why did they throw him in prison?" Faran asked, playing stupid.

"For no good reason!" Garet and Isaac exchanged nervous glances. They should have warned Faran about Jenna…

**

* * *

**

Sheba leaned against an old tree that stood behind Faran's house. She was utterly oblivious to the screams and shouts of Jenna and Faran coming from inside. Her eyes were fixed on Babi's Lighthouse, but she wasn't looking really looking at it.

"Sheba?" Ivan's voice snapped her out of her daydreaming and caused her to jump. "I have a feeling that you need to talk to someone right now."

"Ivan, don't do that to me!" she shouted as she blocked her mind out from Ivan's. She turned her back to him. "It's no use talking to anyone."

"But you can't let your emotions eat away at you," he began.

"How could you possibly understand?" Her back was still turned to him, hiding her tears.

"You're the one who isn't understanding," Ivan corrected, his voice as calm as ever. "Haven't you realized, or should I say remembered, that our childhoods were very similar?" Sheba bit her upper lip to stop her crying.

"I always knew that Master Hammet wasn't my father and that I was living a lie. I wanted my real father, not some replacement. But when I looked at things more closely, I saw that he loved me more than anything, even if he wasn't my real father."

Sheba wiped her face with the back of her hand before turning to face Ivan. Her eyes were red and the skin around them was blotched and red from crying. "But you know who you are. You know that you had a family and that you have a sister. You know where you came from! I don't know anything about my past!"

Ivan placed his hands on her shoulders. "Why does that matter? The past isn't as important as the present is. As long as you know who _you_ are, you don't even need to know your past."

'When did he get so tall?' Sheba thought to herself as she looked up at him. "Thanks." Ivan pulled her in closer and wrapped his arms around her. He rested his chin on her head. Now Sheba really did feel short.

"There are things that remain unspoken," he whispered to her.

'What do you mean?' she thought to him.

Before she received an answer, Ivan slowly and reluctantly pulled away without saying another word. It didn't matter to her what Faran said to her now, she was leaving. And that was final.

**

* * *

**

**Shadow**: OK, I lied. Maybe it was just a teeny bit dramatic…I don't know if that was too early for me to start doing it, but whatever. This is my first attempt at wind-shipping, so I hope I don't screw things up.

**Spark:** And hopefully that chapter was long enough for you. We're trying to make the summary of the story for the lookup page more interesting, but we can't figure out what to do. Suggestions are appreciated.

**Shadow:** Thanks a bunch!!


	7. Attack on Lalivero

**Shadow:** Now that I've had my sandwich, it's on to chapter seven! I feel so loved since I've gotten so many reviews!

**Spark:** Thanks a bunch to the following:

Lord Cynic: :to Mini Garet: Keep your money…that's all I have to say.

Akachi: It's ok, hope you're having fun on vacation! Thanks! The wind-shipping was fun to write…we'll throw some more in there in later chapters. Yes, there will be stormshipping (forgot to say that) and there's going to be MAJOR flameshipping coming up.

Chaos commander: Don't worry, we're updating!! Don't hurt me…

Chel bel: Thanks! You're going to hate Shadow for the beginning of this chapter…

Navy Blu: Oops, I didn't say that! Anyways, no worries about the summary thing. I think we'll just use the more interesting quotes from the chapters for the summaries.

**Shadow:** FYI, the first part of this chapter is for comic relief, nothing more. I love Felix. In fact, I once had a dog named Felix. I'm adding flameshipping to this chapter. Simply because I feel like it and because I promised you guys. So yea, enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Six: Attack on Lalivero**

"No respect," Felix mumbled as he drew patterns in the floor with his finger. "None at all. First Tolbi and now Lalivero." He leaned his head back onto the stone wall and stared at the ceiling. It was an open grating and he could see people standing and walking above him. He could see one soldier in particular standing right above him. 'No, don't even think about it, Felix,' he thought to himself. But he was bored.

"Hey buddy!" he yelled up at the soldier. No response. "Hey you!" he tried. Still no response. He finally grew frustrated. "Hey ugly!" The soldier finally looked down at Felix.

"Are you mocking me?" he growled as he clenched his spear tightly.

"No, I just wanted to let you know that there's a hole in your pants. You might want to fix that since I really don't care to see that," Felix said, pointing upwards. The soldier shot him a scowl.

"Oh really?" he snickered as he raised an eyebrow.

'Am I going to regret this?' he thought to himself. He started regretting when he heard the sound of the soldier dropping his pants and then the faint sound of urine falling. "Yep," Felix sighed. "No respect at all."

* * *

"Who's there?" The guard jumped at the sound of rustling in the bushes. But then he realized that it was just the wind. He settled back down to his post beside his sleeping partner. The faint sound of footfalls could be heard approaching the front step of the mansion. "Hello?" The sound stopped for a few moments and then resumed.

"Marian! Wake up!" he whispered as he nudged his friend awake. He grumbled as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "There's someone coming!" He placed a hand over his face as a beam of light from a lantern blinded him.

"I'm terribly sorry to disturb you like this," a voice said to them. The lantern was lowered to reveal three cloaked figures: two men and a woman. "But I need to speak with the mayor on an important matter."

The guard finally found his courage. "Whatever this 'important matter' is, it can wait until the morning!" he stated firmly.

The man who had been speaking snapped his fingers. The other man held out one of his hands. A red sphere appeared floating above it. "Please let us in. You know I hate wasting my time and energy on worthless peons such as yourself," the leader sighed.

"Alex, don't," the woman pleaded, still gripping the lantern tightly. "Let's wait until morning. I'm sure the mayor will be…"

"Mia, when did I ask for your opinion on this matter?" he asked. She didn't answer. "Well?"

"You didn't ask for it," she mumbled. "But don't hurt them, please."

He nodded his head, signaling his accomplice to release his weapon. He hurled the red sphere at the two men and in a burst of flame and smoke, they were gone. All that remained were their charred helmets and spears.

"Don't speak unless you are spoken to," he scolded as he pushed the doors open. Mia stooped down and picked up one of the soldiers' helmets and cradled it in her arms. "Come along." She stooped down to pick up her lantern before following her master inside.

The explosion had woken everyone in the mansion from their slumber. A plump man dressed in a long nightgown and matching cap cowered on the staircase. His servants were nowhere in sight. If anything, they were joyful to know that someone had come to kill their pompous leader. "W-what do you w-want?" he stammered.

"No need to be alarmed. I only wish to make a deal with you," Alex said coolly.

"A deal?" All fear was gone and was replaced with a greedy glint in his eyes. "What about?"

"Let's sit down. I hate doing business in such an informal environment," Alex offered, despite the fact that this wasn't his house. The mayor continued down the steps and let the group into his study. He lit some candles and offered them a comfortable place to sit.

"Now what's this 'deal' you're telling me about?" he asked, rubbing his hands with glee.

"First, let me ask you this: how large is your army? I've heard that over the past few years you've built it up quite a bit."

"Yes, it is quite large for a city this size. We've also built up our navy. It's the largest in Osenia with 20 strong ships," the mayor bragged. "Do you need to hire my army and navy?"

"Yes, I do," Alex replied.

"Who are you after?" the mayor grinned as he leaned across his desk.

"One ship," he stated simply as he leaned back in his ship.

"One ship?" the mayor exclaimed. "Are you out of your mind?"

"You've encountered this ship before," Alex continued. "The Dusk Rider."

The mayor jogged his memory. "Can't say that I've had."

"Felix's ship," Alex reminded him. He watched as the mayor clenched his chubby fists. "He and his friends are interfering with my plans and I need someone to stop them."

"But why do you seek Alhafara's aid?"

"Two reasons," Alex began. "One, I need a fairly good-sized army to take on this ship. Felix and his friends are quite powerful and it will take a large force to stop them. Two, I know how you want revenge."

The mayor was taken aback. "How did you know about that?"

"I know these things. I know how Felix allowed Briggs to go free. I know how you were denied that fine ship that rightly belonged to Alhafara…" He was playing on the mayor's anger and bitterness. Now he had him right where he wanted him. "Of course, I won't let this go unrewarded." The Star Magician presented a fairly large sack of gold coins on the desk. He ripped the bag open so that the coins spilled across the desk. The mayor's eyes lit up at this sight. "Half now, half later."

"Where are they?" he asked, his eyes fixed on the glow of the gold. "Where are they at this very moment?"

"En route to Lalivero. They will be there by tomorrow morning," Alex explained.

"So will my ships and my men."

* * *

"You know, sometimes I feel like the older sibling here," Jenna sighed as she led Felix out of the jail. "Me always bailing you out of trouble…"

"And when did this happen?" Felix growled.

"Well, I was the one that hauled your lazy carcass out of the water at Idejima," she began. "I did most of the work at Mars Lighthouse…"

"I was unconscious!" he yelled. "And Mars Lighthouse, well…" He couldn't think of a good comeback. "So what did Faran say?" he asked, changing the subject.

"There was a bit of an argument between him and Sheba. We reminded him that Sheba would continue traveling with us and when he heard that, he changed his mind about giving us his army."

Felix dropped his arms to his sides where they hung limply. "You're kidding. What is it going to take to get any help around here?" he moaned. "Those soldiers are just pissing their time away!" (HAHA)

"Sheba would have to stay in order for us to take the army," Jenna explained. "But she's already made up her mind: she's coming with us."

There was an ear-shattering explosion as one side of Babi's Lighthouse crumbled away. Another whizzing sound followed as a cannonball struck the earth, sending chunks of dirt and weeds flying into the air. Felix and Jenna fell to the ground as another blast sent sand falling to the ground like rain. "What's going on?" Jenna coughed as she rubbed dirt from her eyes. Felix looked out to sea. A small fleet of ships were approaching quickly. Another shot hit the tower once again.

"Those ships are firing at Lalivero," he replied. "I wonder if Picard and the others are alright in the cove."

"Go to the harbor and find out. I'll go find Isaac and the others," Jenna instructed. Another cannonball landed nearby, increasing the sense of urgency. Felix nodded and told his sister to be careful before running off towards the harbor. Jenna rose to her feet and ran back towards Faran's mansion.

The people heard the shots and were in a panic. No one was sure where to go and thus, they were running around like a spooked herd of cattle. Jenna had to elbow her way through the crowd, but the people simply elbowed back. "Jenna!" She tried to stand on her tip-toes to see over the crowd to find who was yelling at her. Garet stood a few feet away, waving his arm at her.

"Hold on!" she yelled. She shoved her way through the panicked crowds as another shot was heard. Garet's hand was only a few inches away. Suddenly, a blast landed in the crowd. Screams and cries filled the air as the smoke cleared, separating the two adepts. "Garet!" she yelled. It felt like she was swimming against a strong current. She fought to get to her friend, but was only met with a sharp blow to the side by an old woman's elbow. Her hand clutched her injured side as she continued to fight her way to Garet.

"Out of my way!" she heard him shout as he shoved two men aside. He glanced down and saw Jenna clutched her side. "What happened? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she whimpered as she removed her hand. "Where's Isaac?"

"I lost sight of him along with Ivan and Sheba when the Lighthouse was hit. I'm hoping they're trying to make it down to the harbor," he explained over the shouts and screams.

"Felix went to the harbor to help Picard. I told him I'd bring everyone back," she yelled.

"I'm sure they know where to find us." He paused for a moment before taking her hand. "So we won't get separated," he said to reassure Jenna. But it was more for his reassurance.

The crowds thinned out as they neared the harbor. "They're going to Venus Lighthouse," Jenna realized. "But why would they go there?"

"They know that whoever is attacking us isn't stupid enough to shoot at the lighthouse," Garet explained.

Jenna snickered. "You're not so stupid after all." Garet glanced at her, and then smiled.

The building beside them crumbled under a cannonball. Enemy ships were beginning to enter the harbor and were now in perfect range to destroy the entire town. Jenna let go of Garet's hand and ran up a ways, searching the distance for the Dusk Rider. "They've already taken off without us!" she gasped. The wall beside her began to crumble and a massive piece of stone began to fall towards her. Paralyzed by fear, she could only bring her arms above her head in an attempt to protect herself.

"Jenna!" Garet shoved Jenna to the ground as the stone landed on his back, shoving him to the ground as well. (Come on, use your imagination. You know how they landed ;) I don't have to describe it for you, do I?)

With a grunt, Garet pulled himself up and let the rock slide off his back. He sat on his knees, trying to catch his breath. Jenna sat up and watched him. She was speechless and couldn't find the right words to say. So she placed her hands on his shoulders and cast Cool Aura. "Thank you," she whispered.

"You're welcome," he said with a smile. Another blast destroyed a row of houses. They looked up and saw that the ships were now in the harbor. Soldiers were pouring out of the ship and ran into the streets, searching for any people left in the town. A tacit agreement to find a place to hide was made and they hid in a small one-room house that was still standing. A curtain was drawn over a window. They pulled it back just far enough for them to look out of.

"Man, I hate to be doing this to innocent people, but an order is an order," one soldier sighed as he gazed at the ruin. "What were we looking for again?"

"That one ship," another soldier replied. "It was one of those weird ships that don't use a sail. I think it's called the Dusk Rider or something funny like that."

Jenna and Garet ducked down below the window and let the curtain fall back into place. "They're after us!" she whispered. "Do you think they're working for Alex?"

"Probably. Who else would be attacking us?"

"But if they are working for him, how did he know that we were here?"

"I don't…" Jenna placed a hand over his mouth as she listened. There was the faint sound of clinking armor coming from the other side of the house. Jenna crouched as she looked out the window again. The soldiers continued to search for any sign of life, but found none. There was the sound of shouts and a scuffle. "In here!" Jenna shouted.

"What in the name of Sol do you think you're doing?" Garet hissed. A Laliveran soldier thrust his head through the window and stared at them.

"What are you two still doing here? Your ship left at the first sound of cannon fire!" he said.

"Where are they?" Jenna gasped.

"The delta near Venus Lighthouse," the soldier explained. "It was an amazing sight! The ship _flew_ downriver! I've never seen such a thing!"

"Do you know who's attacking us?" Garet asked.

"I have no idea. But I suggest you two head down to the delta as fast as you can," he said. He threw a quick glance over his shoulder. "We'll cover you, don't worry."

After poking his head out the door and peering around cautiously, Garet led his fellow Mars Adept down the deserted ruins of Lalivero. They would occasionally hear the sounds of movement down alleyways and an occasional fire of a cannon, but usually the only sound was that of their feet. "You don't think they'll leave us behind do you?" she asked as they ran past the main gate.

"Of course not," he replied. "If we keep up this pace, we should make it there by nightfall." He felt sure of his friends back on the ship and trusted that they would wait for them. But there was still something tugging at the back of Garet's mind, telling him that they had already left without him. But he had to keep his hopes up for his sake and Jenna's. It was the only thing he could do at this point.

* * *

**Shadow:** There, some flameshipping for you guys to enjoy. I know this chapter seems kind of choppy, but it's hard to put all of your ideas down when they're flowing through your brain so fast!!! Too many ideas!! Please review before my brain explodes!


	8. Trapped

**Shadow:** :is jamming out to Crystal Method:

**Spark:** Uh…

**Shadow:** Silence! Music is my inspiration! :pops knuckles: I feel something good coming!

**Spark:** I'll leave Shadow to her insanity while I answer the reviews. :dives into mail pile:

Akachi: Yea, it was choppy since it was written over the course of 24 hours and Shadow getting up to eat, pee, practice piano, do homework, etc. Hopefully she'll stay in one place this time. :grabs duct tape:

Chel bel: Oh, the whole leaving alone thing is just what they need. ;) This chapter will be filled with flameshipping, I assure you.

Navy Blu: Really? What was it about? Do tell; Shadow has this nifty website that she goes to for dream analysis. She can interpret, or rather look it up on the website.

Lord Cynic: Here…this is better. :hands Cynic a rocket launcher: Have fun! :)

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Trapped**

"Hold on a minute would you?" Jenna groaned as she flopped down onto the forest floor.

"Come on, Jenna! If we keep stopping like this, we'll never make it in time!" Garet pleaded as he turned back to his companion. "Look, there's the Venus lighthouse in the distance! I can just see it over the treetops…"

Jenna craned her neck to see it. The glowing green beacon blended well with the surrounding foliage. "It hasn't gotten any closer, Garet," she sighed. "Face it, we're lost!"

"We should head towards the lighthouse then. We should eventually break through the forest and reach the coastline," he continued, trying to remain optimistic. With a sigh, Jenna dragged herself to her feet and followed Garet through the forest.

"You don't think they would leave without us, do you?" she asked. This must have been the fifth time she asked Garet this question, although he knew she was asking herself this question more than she was asking him.

"They wouldn't leave without us," he reassured her. "Felix wouldn't hear of it. And besides, they need Mars adepts." He made up a different answer every time.

"Oh yea?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips. "What for?"

Garet scratched his head in thought. "Well," he began. "You're our only healer left!"

"What about Felix and Picard?" She paused. "And Isaac?"

"They can only heal one person at a time," he explained. "You can heal the entire party all at once."

"Oh stop making up excuses to try and make me feel better," she snorted as she crossed her arms. "You've been doing that this whole time, each one more far-fetched than the last." She was extremely intimidating. He thought of other things to say to her, but kept his mouth shut in fear of getting shot down.

Jenna stopped momentarily to catch her breath. "Had I known that we'd be out here this long, I would have brought some water or something." It was very humid in the tropical forest and he could see the sweat rolling down Jenna's neck.

"We'll stop and rest," Garet offered as he sat down beside her. He was feeling tired himself. They sat for a moment, not a word passing between them. "You know, this reminds me of why back when we were crossing the Lamakan Desert. Although, it's much hotter there than it was here."

"I guess I can find that somewhat reassuring," she snickered.

"I did feel bad for Mia, though. She had all those bulky robes that she usually wore up in Imil. She was drenched in sweat; more so than the rest of us."

"Really?" Jenna asked, trying to sound interested. The only thing that would captivate her at this moment was water.

"The three of us, Isaac, Ivan, and myself, were used to hotter weather. But she wasn't, and so she passed out. Isaac and I had to take turns carrying her," he explained. Jenna's head turned towards him instantly, her ponytail flying behind her.

"Oh really…" she said through gritted teeth.

Garet took a deep breath. "You know, I don't think I've ever told anyone this," he began. "But did you know that in one point in time, all three of us guys had a thing going for Mia? It was funny because we'd all be competing for her, but none of us had said a thing to the others."

By now, Jenna's face was burning with jealousy. But she did her best to feign indifference. "Wait, so you were in love with Mia at one point?" she giggled. He nodded. "And Ivan too?" She laughed again as he nodded.

"Yea, well Ivan wasn't as patient, so he gave up," he laughed. "But I had it bad." He shook his head as if in embarrassment. "You remember up on Jupiter lighthouse when the two of us fell off that ledge? Well, that's when I told her that I loved her."

Jenna looked at Garet and realized that the two of them had more in common than she thought. "She gave me this funny look, like she was confused and sorry all at the same time. I realized at Colosso that she and Isaac were in love, but I just ignored it and blindly followed."

"As crazy as this may sound," Jenna laughed. "I know exactly how you feel."

"When she told me how she felt while we were waiting to be rescued, I realized that I had been a fool." He paused and took another deep breath.

Jenna heard a rustling in the bushes. "Because I had been ignoring what was in my heart this whole time…" Before Garet could finish, twigs snapped in the underbrush and whatever it was, was getting closer. He noticed this too, and the two climbed into a tree and peered down.

A group of five soldiers emerged from the woods. Jenna was about to call out to them, but realized that they weren't wearing Laliveran armor. Their clothing was familiar to her and it took a few moments before she realized it. 'They're Alhafrans!'

"They should be around here somewhere," one of the men muttered to himself. "That one soldier told us they were making for Venus lighthouse."

One of his companions crouched down to the forest floor. He peered at the leaves and other plants growing in the warm, moist earth. Carefully examining it, he felt certain areas with his hand. "There's two of them, definitely," he stated. "They lay here." He stood up, his eyes fixed on the ground. "Then they got up, but their tracks don't lead anywhere." Jenna glanced over and saw that Garet was gripping the hilt of his sword. The soldiers peered up at them, and for a moment, their eyes met.

Garet leapt down from the tree, drawing the Fire Brand in midair. He landed to find himself surrounded by five Alhafran soldiers. Jenna felt helpless since she had left the Atropis Rod aboard the ship, thinking that there would be no use for it. Now she regretted it. All she could do was watch.

The six of them all stood, watching and waiting for the others to make a move. The soldiers were exchanging glances, and a plan was decided silently. The soldier directly behind Garet, drew his sword and slashed him in the side. Then the onslaught began. Five against one was hardly a fair fight. "Searing Beam!" was heard from the trees as a beam of fire rained down on the soldiers. Jenna leapt down from the tree to Garet's side.

"I was going to handle them myself!" he hissed.

Jenna raised an eyebrow skeptically. "I can hardly believe that." She looked down at the soldiers, lying on the ground. Some were unconscious and those that were still awake were moaning in pain from the severe burns on their bodies. "Who sent you?" she asked. "Was it Alex?"

"We don't know," one of them moaned. "We were just told to come here and kill everyone aboard the Dusk Rider."

"Have they found the ship yet?" Garet asked.

"No. But the Laliveran army is totally wiped out," one of them chuckled. "We may not have killed you, but we at least got rid of anyone that might have been of aid."

"What other information do you have to give us?" Garet questioned, holding his sword close to the soldier who was speaking.

"What else do you want?" he stammered as the Fire Brand grew dangerously close.

"Who sent you?"

"We told you: we don't know! All that I know is that some guy came along and gave Alhafra money to build up the army. It's grown big enough to split into two main groups. One is here in Gondowan. The other is south in Indra and Osenia. That's all I know."

Garet sheathed his sword. "We'd better go, Jenna," he said as he took her arm. "The sooner we get to the ship, the better." He started running, Jenna being dragged behind him.

"Hold on you big oaf!" she growled as she stopped. She placed her hand into his side where the sword had cut into his skin and cast Cool Aura. "You're not going anywhere with this huge gash in your side!"

He looked down at her and blushed slightly. "Oh come on," he sighed. "It's only a cut. I've gotten plenty before."

"When did you start acting so heroic?" she grinned as she pulled her hand away. "I always thought you were the bumbling side-kick?"

'Not that smile,' he thought to himself. 'Anything but that.' She just kept smiling at him, but she didn't know what it was doing to him. He thought of a good come-back, but nothing would come. Even if he could think straight, he wouldn't have been able to say anything anyways. So instead, he wrapped her into a warm embrace.

* * *

"I can only imagine what that dirty bastard is doing to my sister," Felix grumbled as he paced around the deck.

"I don't think you have to be worried about what Garet's doing to Jenna," Picard said in a serious tone. "But rather what those soldiers will do when they find them."

The idea did reassure Felix somewhat. But that did not improve the situation. The Dusk Rider was the only thing that stood between the Alhafran army and the Laliveran civilians. They had no idea what had happened to the city, but knew it was either completely destroyed or overrun with the enemy. There was the sound of shuffling feet on the shore and Felix glanced down.

"Where have you been?" he shouted. Jenna tried to make an innocent smile, but her brother didn't fall for it.

"Felix!" she shouted. "It's the Alhafrans! They're the ones after us!"

"How do you know?" he asked as he threw down the rope ladder.

"We found a group of them in the forest and we got some information out of them." Jenna placed her feet into the wooden rungs and carefully ascended. Once she was within reach, Felix grabbed her and pulled her onboard and into his arms. Garet stumbled along after her.

"Like what?"

"Someone, whom we believe to be Alex, has been giving the Alhafrans money to build up their army. They told us that they've sent troops to Indra and Osenia and that the Laliverans have been destroyed!"

A worried expression came over Felix's normally calm face. Lalivero was gone and now the Alhafrans had more than likely taken over. Indra and Osenia were lost as well. They were trapped in the delta, surrounded by the enemy.

* * *

The adepts sat in a dimly lit room around a large table. Across it was spread a large map of Weyward that was worn with time. Picard stood over the map, his hand scratching his chin in thought. "So if what those soldiers said was true, than Lalivero has been taken," Picard mused as he tapped his finger on the dot that represented the town. "And if the Alhafrans have any strategy whatsoever, they'll be waiting for us near Idejima."

"So you're saying we're trapped?" Isaac asked as he leaned forward.

"For the most part, yes," Picard sighed as he sat down in his chair. "Our only hope is to go to Lemuria and get the navy to help us. But there's no way we can get back into the Eastern Sea."

Felix leaned in over the map. "Wait," he began. "What about sailing south?" Picard glanced at him and then back at the map. "We'll sail through the Gondowan cliffs and then between Tundaria and Indra and Osenia. They'll be watching to the north and won't expect us to come from the south."

"But Felix," Isaac began. "We can't get the ship past the rocks and ice that surround Tundaria."

"We have wings this time! We'll fly over. Trust me, it will work! We'll show Alex that we can be just as sneaky as him!"

* * *

**Shadow:** :tosses headphones aside: OK, so maybe that wasn't exactly as spectacular as I had hoped…it was more of a disappointment for myself. :sigh: I need a sandwich…

**Spark:** This one can almost qualify as a filler chapter…but not quite. Please review!


	9. Drowning

**Shadow:** Because the last chapter was such a disappointment and because I love you guys so much, I decided to double-update!! Plus, inspiration finally struck me.

**Spark:** You just want more reviews…

:Shadow sits on Spark:

**Shadow:** Er…since Spark is indisposed of at the moment, I will answer the reviews…or should I say review since only one person had time to review:

Navy Blu: Interesting dream. You probably had it because you were thinking about Golden Sun and Inu-Yasha a lot. And I like sandwiches because they taste yummy and make me happy! :D I wanted to have a sandwich today, but we didn't have any bread…maybe that's why the last chapter sucked.

**Shadow:** Anyways, this chapter is going to have lots of yummy flameshipping and not much plot development. In my mind, the whole Alex bent on world-domination thing is just a backdrop for all the little romances going on the story. Now go read!

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Drowning**

Despite his large stature, Garet was still able to be tossed around. However, he still had his pride and liked to think that it was only because he was so tired and weak at the moment and because Felix was powered by the adrenaline coursing through his veins. Never before did Garet think that such kind eyes could be filled with such anger. "So tell me," he growled with a fake smile as he grabbed the collar of Garet's shirt. "What exactly happened in the forest? Something must have distracted the two of you since it took so long for you two to return."

"We got lost," he replied, showing submission by raising his arms. "You have my word."

Felix slammed Garet against the wall. "I don't believe you."

"Felix!" He turned his head to find his sister standing behind him, her hands on her hips and her face twisted into a scowl. "Leave him alone!" she scolded. He pushed Garet away as he let go, as if he was a filthy piece of garbage that had soiled his hands.

"Did he do anything to you?" he asked, the aggression still lingering in his voice.

Jenna blushed slightly. "What kind of person do you take me for? Just because I get stranded with some guy doesn't mean I'm automatically going to _do_ anything with him!"

Felix nodded before turning back to Garet. "Don't get any bright ideas." With a muffled snort, he walked out of the room.

"Your brother's gotten a little aggressive lately," Garet chuckled as he straightened out the wrinkles in his collar.

"Well he should know me a little better than that," she sighed as she shook her head. "He knows that we're just friends," she grinned as she playfully elbowed him in the side. His eyes started to water as her elbow made contact with his still tender wound. Jenna realized this and began apologizing immediately before she ran off.

But her words stung more than the pain from his injury. 'She only sees us as friends, and nothing more,' he thought. He slammed his fist against the wall out of frustration. "What the hell am I doing? Wasting my time like this…"

"Talking to yourself again?" Isaac chuckled as he walked in. Garet suddenly regretted making public displays of emotion in the study where everyone usually liked to be. Isaac bit into his apple as he waited for a reply. "I've told you before: no matter how many times you talk to them, those little voices won't talk back."

"Very funny Isaac," Garet mumbled as he rubbed his hand.

"I heard that a certain Venus adept wanted to kill you a few moments ago," Isaac continued, trying to sound cheery. He didn't need Jupiter psyenergy to know what was bothering Garet.

"He almost did," Garet replied. "But Jenna intervened."

"Was it because of what happened back in the forest?"

"Yea, since he thought Jenna and I would have done a little 'procreating'," Garet sighed. Isaac was impressed with Garet's new extensive vocabulary. "But you know as well as anyone that Jenna doesn't see us as anything more than friends."

"I thought you were going to tell her."

"Well when would have been a good moment?" Garet snapped. "When Lalivero was being attacked? When we were lost in the forest?" He let out a deep sigh. "I'm sorry for yelling."

"It's alright," Isaac said.

"But even if I had told her, it wouldn't have mattered anyways. It wouldn't have changed the way she feels about me." Isaac searched for encouraging words, but he found none. Instead, he changed the topic.

"Well, we're setting sail in a little while. Sheba went down to Venus lighthouse to tell the Laliverans to try and head south for Kimbombo."

"It must be hard seeing your hometown destroyed right in front of your eyes," Garet sighed. "We never actually saw Vale get destroyed."

"I promised Sheba that when everything was said and done, that we'd help her go back and rebuild, like we did for Vale. I guess it's a way for me to promise her and everyone else that we're coming back alive."

"Do you think we'll make it? You know, past Tundaria?" Garet asked.

"I hope so."

* * *

_'Help me, somebody!' Jenna pleaded to herself. She forced her eyes open to find she was underwater, sinking deeper and deeper. The sunlight danced on the surface, beckoning to her. Her lungs burned for air as air bubbles escaped out her nose and mouth. In her mind, she knew that she had to swim for the surface and not to open her mouth and let any of the precious air escape. _

_'I can't hold on…' She started to pull herself upwards through the water. She imagined that she looked like a frog, making way for the surface. The light continued its hypnotic dance as she neared the glistening surface. But her lips could not contain the air any longer. Her mouth opened and water rushed inside and began to fill her lungs. In a panic, she began to flail and kick in order to get to the surface in time. _

_'Almost…' But she couldn't reach it. Her vision was beginning to cloud over and her head began to spin. A hand reached down into the water. Jenna used the last of her strength to reach out and take it. As soon as her fingers laced between her savior's, she suddenly felt unafraid. A cool tingling sensation came over her as she was pulled out of the water. Her head burst through the surface and she took a big gulp of air_.

Jenna opened her eyes to find that she had been dreaming once again. Her breathing was labored, as if she really had been drowning. She rubbed her face with her hands as she sat up in bed. Though it was dark in the room, she could still see the sleeping forms of Sheba and Fehzhi. But there was a tangled mass of sheets where Hama should have been. She quietly rose from her bed and tip-toed out of the room.

The ship was different at night, but Jenna could still find her way around. She tip-toed past the boys' room where she could hear Garet snoring loudly. The steps creaked under her weight as she stepped up onto the deck where she found Hama at the helm.

She carefully walked over and tapped her on the shoulder. Surprisingly, she did not jump, but simply turned and smiled. "What are you doing up so late?"

"I was about to ask you the same."

"I couldn't sleep, and so I thought I would come and relieve Picard of his duty. I can hold my own up here," she replied as she turned back to the sea ahead of her. "So now that I've told you my reason, why not tell me yours?"

"I had a strange dream and I needed some fresh air."

"What was your dream about?" Hama asked, showing interest.

"I was drowning," she answered, wringing her hands.

"I see. I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but I learned from a mage how to interpret dreams. It's an old skill passed down to Jupiter adepts."

"Well, what does it mean?"

"It means that you're feeling overwhelmed by something. Or perhaps it could mean that you are trying to approach things too quickly before giving them careful thought," she explained. "Is there something that you're trying to hide? Perhaps it's your conscious coming back to haunt you about it."

Jenna blushed. 'Could she mean Isaac?' She had been waiting for the right moment to tell him. "I don't think so," she responded. What was the use in lying to Hama? "Maybe…"

"In your dream, did you drown to death or did you survive?" Hama asked.

"I think I survive. I always wake up before I find out. But someone rescues me. I see a hand reaching out for me and they pull me out of the water."

"The next time you have that dream, try to remember or see who it is that saves you," Hama instructed. "Whatever your inner turmoil may be, your relationship with this person will survive."

"Thank you," Jenna stammered. Hama nodded and gave her a smile. "Oh, and another thing. I had another dream. I dreamt that I saw someone else drowning." She didn't want to tell her who it was. Then Hama would figure everything out.

"You are too involved in something beyond your control, Jenna," Hama replied in a tone as if she was scolding her. Jenna felt her stomach drop; had she figured it out? "From what you're telling me, it sounds like you are hiding many things from the world and that you are trying to control things which you can't."

"Maybe," Jenna gulped. She took a deep breath to calm herself. 'But they're just dreams. They can't possibly mean anything…' she thought to herself. 'Maybe something's telling me to take action. Maybe if I do take action, these dreams will leave me alone.'

* * *

The air had grown cold and the wind lashed her face like an icy whip. The Tundaria tower could barely be seen in the distance along with a white horizon. They were sailing at a good pace. Felix said they would reach the Eastern Sea in a few days if they kept up this pace. Jenna wrapped her arms around her self as she shuddered. Her warm breath hung in the air as she exhaled and then drifted away like smoke.

She shuddered again, not from cold, but from fear. Isaac stepped out onto the deck and approached her slowly. She was the only one on the stern of the ship and it almost felt like she was the only one left in the world. Except for Isaac. She blushed when she saw him smile at her, his blue eyes glistening like the sea.

"What did you need to tell me?" he asked. A cold gust of wind blew past them.

"There's something I've had on my mind for a long time," she began. "Something that's been troubling me ever since our first trip to Sol Sanctum."

Her dream kept flashing through her mind. Whose hand was it? Who saved her? She was hoping it was Isaac's. But what about the other dream? Why was he drowning? "Go on," he said.

She clenched her hands into fists. "You're going to think I'm really stupid for doing this," she muttered. "But I don't know how else to say this. Isaac, I love you." Those three little words seemed to echo all around and she was afraid of the whole world hearing. How she wanted to look up at Isaac. How she wanted to look into his eyes and see her feelings reflected back at her. When she did finally muster up the courage to look him in the face, she didn't see the expression she was hoping for.

"I don't know what to say myself," he replied. "I thought you knew about Mia and me. You were her best friend and her maid of honor!"

"I know…I know," she stammered. "But sometimes you just can't stop these things from coming."

He took a deep breath. "I thought you said that you were happy for me; for us. But now I understand that it was all a lie coming from you."

"Isaac, please!" she sobbed as tears began running down her cheeks. "I'm sorry!"

"I have an apology of my own," he began. "I'm sorry that I cannot return the feeling. I'm sorry if I've led you on for all these years. And I'm sorry if I've hurt you."

She tried to force the tears back in the fear that they would freeze on her cheeks. The tower was growing closer and the wind was getting colder. He silently turned and walked away. When she was sure that he was gone, she fell to her knees and cried, despite the growing cold.

'Look at what you've done,' a voice hissed at her. 'You got what you wanted.'

"I didn't want _any_ of this!" she whispered back.

'Yes you did,' the voice laughed. 'You wanted to get rid of Mia. And so Alex was reborn and he took her away. You wanted Isaac to know how you felt. So you told him.'

"Leave me alone," she whispered again, this time louder. She clutched her head in frustration.

'What a pity. I guess things don't always have a happy ending, do they?'

"Shut up!"

'Poor Jenna. Always so alone. No one is there to hold your hand,' they said, feigning pity. 'No one there to love you!'

"What do you want?"

'Only to see you happy, Jenna. I know that being here, among those who don't love you, doesn't make you happy. I know you want your dreams to come true.' Jenna found herself looking up at the edge of the ship. 'Why not make your dreams come true? I guarantee: someone will be there to save you from your icy doom.'

She stood up and peered over the side of the ship at the waters below. Her head felt light and her thoughts began to swim. A voice called out to her, but she couldn't hear it. Only the wind which whipped about her. She felt a firm grip on her shoulders, pulling her back to reality.

"What were you doing?" She blinked and found herself staring Garet in the face. Jenna couldn't find the words to say to him. He sighed, "I know what happened."

She finally found her shame. "You do?"

"I asked where you were and Isaac told me that I could find you here. I could tell what had happened by the tone of his voice and the look on his face."

Jenna threw herself onto him and began sobbing into his shoulder. "I feel like such a fool!"

He held her tighter. "I know. I've been there before. But maybe there's someone out there who cares for you more than he does and maybe you just don't know it yet."

She lifted her head and looked up at him. Her eyes were red from crying and a few stray tears still slid down her cheeks and despite her humiliation and sorrow, she still found the inner strength to smile. "Thank you." The wind blew through her hair, making it messy. But in Garet's eyes, she was the most beautiful person he'd ever seen. His first impulse was to hold her close, and so he did. And the two of them sat there like that, holding each other, oblivious to each other's feelings.

* * *

**Shadow:** That was a hard part for me to write because I based the whole part where Jenna tries to kill herself on my own experiences. Well, I don't hear little voices in my head and I never tried to jump off a ship, but you get the main jist. And most of the dialogue was taken directly with conversations with friends. Thank you to my dear friends Mike and David for their support and dialogue. Heheh….

**Spark:** :in a muffled voice: Get offa me!

**Shadow:** Review or Spark shall suffocate! XD


	10. The Southern Passage

**Shadow:** Sorry it took me so long to update. My dad got me Photoshop so I've been playing with that a lot. But now I'm back with another chapter for you.

**Spark**: And Shadow decided to remove her big fat butt off of my face since all of you reviewed.

**Shadow**: You'd better watch yourself…:glare:  
**Spark:** Er…:sweatdropping: Thanks to everyone who reviewed and spared me from a horribly cruel death:

Inferno-Hero: Thanks for all the reviews!!! :gives entire crate of cookies: We're really glad you're enjoying the story so far. One of these days, Shadow will somehow be creative and do a fic with Vale and Steamshipping.

Chel bel: Well, in all situations where you get shot down, things are going to be a little awkward for Isaac and Jenna. But no worries! They'll be friends again.

Akachi: I'm trying to find a good spot to put the stormshipping. It will be in there! Trust us!

Lord Cynic: What is she reading? O.o

Navy Blu: Really? Was it that deep? Now I'm speechless…

**Shadow:** Once again, my sincerest apologies for making you wait…

* * *

**Chapter Nine: The Southern Passage**

There was a light knock at the door, but Jenna chose to ignore it. The air was cold and heavy as it hung about her and she feared pulling away the warm covers to answer the door. "Jenna? It's me, Sheba." Why was everyone trying to make her feel better? Nothing would. "I just made soup and thought you might like some." The thick wood of the door muffled her already quiet voice. "But I need some help opening the door since my hands are full."

Jenna wrapped the blanket around her and over her head as she reluctantly sat herself up. Her feet were wrapped in warm woolen stockings and at times she felt herself slip and lose her balance as she made her way across the smooth wooden floor. She grasped the doorknob and turned it. But she did not open it all the way. It was open at just barely a crack, enough for Sheba to open it with her foot. She scuttled back to her bunk as Sheba squeezed inside. "Is everything alright?" the Jupiter adept asked as she set the tray down on the nightstand.

"Where are we?" she moaned from under the covers.

"Still out on the ice," Sheba answered with a sigh. "If we had known that the ice packs would freeze over by this time, we would never have come this way."

Jenna lifted her head. "Can't we just fly over? Isn't that what we originally planned to do in the first place?"

"We have to rest," she replied. "It's a lot of work for just the four of us to keep the ship in flight." She nudged the tray as a gesture for Jenna to eat. "But anyways, you need to eat."

Jenna buried her head in the sheets again. "I'm not hungry." Sheba's attempts at trying to get her to eat were absolutely pathetic.

"You haven't eaten in two days! You have to eat, Jenna!" she scolded.

"I don't know why I should bother," she mumbled in frustration. Sheba carefully studied her friend. Felix, Isaac, and Garet seemed to be a little on edge ever since they had reached Tundaria, but they wouldn't say way. Being the intuitive person that she was, she had caught on. However, they had made Sheba promise not to mind read Jenna.

'This is getting to be ridiculous.' She sat down on the bed, raised her hand, and concentrated.

A few images appeared before her. There was Isaac, standing before her with a distraught look in his eyes. Then, dark thoughts as well as dreams of the same Venus adept, drowning. Sheba was one with Jenna. She stood over the edge of the ship, watching her childhood companion fight for his life. Suddenly, she saw the waters rising up to meet her and swallowing her.

_I'm sorry that I can't return the feeling…I'm sorry if I've hurt you. _

Sheba and Jenna fought for air as they sank deeper and deeper into the depths.

Jenna stirred a bit as the two relived her dreams. She twitched and then sat up. "Leave me alone!" she screamed as she pushed Sheba away.

The impact had woken Sheba from her trance. "I'm just trying to help…"

"I don't want your help! Or anyone else's for that matter, so you can just tell them to leave me well alone!"

"Jenna, what happened to you?" she asked, ignoring Jenna's demands. "I saw, no I felt so much despair in your mind."

Jenna glared at the blonde. "How could you possibly know, much less _feel_ what I'm feeling right now?" she snapped.

"I can just feel things like that," she explained. "Please, let me help you…"

"I already got some bad advice from a Jupiter adept. I don't need any more." She flopped back down and turned her back to Sheba. "You Jupiter adepts think you know everything!" Sheba was wounded by the malice that dripped off her words. "But you have no idea."

"No, I do have an 'idea'," Sheba snapped back. "You're afraid, Jenna! Afraid of rejection and afraid of loneliness!"

"I told you to leave me alone!" Jenna shouted.

"Don't hide it Jenna," she growled as she narrowed her eyes. "I know how you feel. You want me to stay; want me to listen to your stories and fears. You want me to listen and then afterwards give you words of encouragement that no one else has to offer."

Jenna sat up and stared at her with a tear-stained face. Hearing these words coming out of Sheba, sweet innocent little Sheba, was terrifying. This girl had been like Jenna's younger sister more than anything during the quest. But now as Jenna examined her friend, she realized that she was no longer the little girl from her memories. She was now becoming a woman and for a split second, Jenna couldn't recognize her. She watched as she let her shoulders slump as she sighed before transforming her scowl to a smile.

"It's alright to feel that way. I have the same fears as you do." Sheba's mind suddenly flashed back to that day in Lalivero when she was telling Ivan these same words. She found herself blushing and quickly tried to hide her red face. When she turned back, she found Jenna falling into her and sobbing onto her shoulder. They were now almost the same height.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you," Jenna cried.

"It's alright. They say it's better to have loved and lost, then to have never loved at all." Despite the fact that they were four years older, in that moment, they felt young again. Sheba was fourteen and Jenna was seventeen, and that's all that mattered.

* * *

Mia stared out the window, her blue eyes dimmed with grief. The bustling sea-port of Alhafra had been turned into a military base, war vessels always coming in and out with their cargo of prisoners. Alex had locked her up in the tower of his new mansion in order to prevent her from escaping. But watching ships come in and out of the port was amusing for only a short while. It was even less amusing to see the hallowed faces of prisoners being loaded off the ship.

There was the sound of a key being slid into the lock. The doorknob squeaked as it was turned. Mia's face twisted into a scowl as her fellow Mercury adept strode into the room and sat on her bed. "How do you like your accommodations? I made sure to give you a room with an ocean view." She glared at him before turning back to the window.

"Oh come now; don't be this way," he cooed as he got up and stood behind her. "I was just going to propose a little excursion for us. I thought you would want to get out and stretch your legs. Perhaps see the sights."

"If I'm going with you, the answer's no," she said bluntly.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed them gently. "Why have you suddenly turned so cold toward me? I thought that going to Yampi Desert would help you, warm up to me."

"What business do you have there?" Her eyes remain fixed on the scenery beyond the curtains.

"I need someone to help me take care of your friends. Mere mortal men cannot do the job properly so I need someone of higher standards." He pulled Mia in close to him. She wanted to pull away, but he would cast a binding spell on her again if she resisted. "So how about it? Shall we pay a visit to Valukar?"

* * *

Three Jupiter adepts sat in a row, faces illuminated by candlelight. It wasn't just quiet, it was eerily silent. The three of them didn't even need to exchange words or psyenergy to sense the anticipation that hung in the air. They had been patiently waiting for what seemed like hours for Hama to awaken from her trance. Suddenly, she opened her eyes, as if she knew that they had been waiting.

"Have you completed your meditation?" she asked as her eyelids fluttered open. Each adept cast their eyes away from her in embarrassment. "You need to meditate! How else do you expect to get stronger!" she scolded. "Unless you are able to clear your mind completely, we will never be able to pilot the ship just the four of us! If you want to power the hover jade for long periods of time, you must concentrate and focus!"

Fehzhi was the only one daring enough to speak. "I am sorry master. It shall not happen again." Hama nodded and then smiled. It was hard staying mad at them for long, especially her brother.

"I saw something," she began. "I had a vision. There was a snowstorm and the ship was trapped on the ice." The attention of the three younger adepts had been captured by the vivid details of Hama's premonition. "My mind is clouded," she continued as she placed a hand on her forehead. "Someone is masking their true identity from me…they will attack during the blizzard. And we must fight."

"Is it Alex?" Ivan asked.

"I believe so." She closed her eyes as she concentrated. "He must be clouding my thoughts. But…" She opened her eyes, but was still in deep concentration. "He is someone you have met before. He is sending someone familiar to you. You have done battle with him before. It was a difficult battle and you were alone; the spirits were not with you…"

"What do you mean, 'alone'?" Sheba asked. "Was it only one of us who was fighting?"

Something rammed into the side of the ship and sent the adepts sprawling to the other side of the room. This was followed by a pounding at the door. "Are you alright?" Picard did not wait for a reply and threw the door open.

"What is happening?" Fehzhi asked as she found her footing.

"A blizzard rolled in just a few hours ago. About the same time you started meditating. Now something just flew into the ship!" His words were complemented with another impact to the side of the ship. "Like that."

"Someone's attacking us!" Ivan exclaimed, remembering his sister's words. "We have to go and fight." He gestured to Sheba and Fehzhi and they followed him above decks. But Hama would not follow.

"Is something troubling you?" Picard asked as he offered her his hand.

"It's just that…I had a vision that this would happen. But the vision came to me too late and I had no time to warn anyone of this coming." Picard studied her as the ship suffered another blow.

"Come on," he said as he guided her out the door. "Things will be alright."

The two emerged on deck to find the crew with weapons drawn and prepared to fight. Winds whirled about them and the snow stung their faces, but they remained unflinching.

"I can't see who's attacking us!" Felix shouted over the storm. A high pitched roar was heard over the wind as the ship rocked beneath another blow. Sheba unleashed Waft in an attempt to draw their foe out of the cover of the falling snow.

A hammer was swung through the air and made impact with the mast, sending it crashing down to the deck. Another roar and their enemy finally revealed himself. "Valukar," Felix growled.

"You remember me?" he sneered as he spread his large dark wings. "This is good since I remember all of you very well."

"Did Alex send you here?" Isaac asked. This was a stupid question, but one never knows.

"Of course he did. He felt that his little tin soldiers from Alhafra weren't special enough for you. So that's why he hired me." He opened his mouth and let out an ear-splitting roar which was accompanied by a howling wind. Ivan and Sheba instantly recognized the winds as the spirit of Jupiter being summoned against them. They also noticed that they were the only ones who didn't have to fight to keep their balance. Once he was done, the beast grinned at them with his yellowing teeth. "Let's finish this."

* * *

**Shadow:** Hahaha! Cliffhanger!

**Spark:** Be nice to the readers…but anyways, we wanted to get some more…character development…in before we get to the battle scenes. We have to put all the romance in at the right moment….which is coming up soon.

**Shadow:** I'm going to get started on chapter ten ASAP, I promise. But I just had an idea for two other fics that I'm going to start really soon. So please read and review and I will get the next chapter done soon. Luv ya!


	11. The Six Scrolls

**Shadow**: OK, anyways, sorry for the long wait folks. I had a mild case of writer's block. Plus I needed to finish summer AP homework (which is done BTW) and all that jazz.

**Spark**: And for that, I'm very proud of you.

**Shadow**:…do you mean that?

**Spark**: Of course…not. Anyways, thanks to the following:

Inferno-Hero: I don't think I'll give your muses cookies anytime soon…it may result in the outbreak of WWIII. :sweatdrop:

NavyBlu: I dunno if Valukar can talk…but for all intensive purposes, he can. Heh…

Akachi: Oh, that last chapter was just preparing for the flamshipping in this chapter. And in regards to your request for Stormshipping…well, something nice is coming along soon, just for you. It's bittersweet, but I think you might like it.

Lord Cynic: I am still puzzled by this book…

Xanda: Man, I'm receiving a lot of threats…heh.

Chel bel: I like evil cliffies! Well, not when I'm on the receiving end…I'm glad you like my story!

Wind-adept-aly: Hey! Shadow had no idea that you posted here on ! Glad you like the story!

**Shadow:** Yes, so I finally had an idea for this chapter! :trumpets play: And, I have popcorn! :munch: It makes me feel like I'm at the movies…now all I need is a soda. :snaps fingers: Spark, get me a Sobe, on the rocks.

**Spark:** Bite me…

* * *

**Chapter Ten: The Six Scrolls**

He studied his enemy. Things started coming back to him. That last blast brought it back. "Hold your ground!" he shouted over the wind.

"Isaac, get out of here!" Felix yelled at him. Isaac shook his head before turning back to Valukar.

"Odyssey!" he cried as he raised his sword. The ghostly forms of two lances pierced the sides of Valukar. The larger sword appeared as Isaac charged toward the beast who screamed in pain. But his hammer delivered vengeance to Isaac's side. He slid across the deck, pain washing over his face.

"You remember Stun Jip?" Valukar laughed at Felix who was rushing to Isaac's side.

"I told you not to fight," he growled as he tried to sit him up. But every time he tried to move Isaac, he would cry out in pain.

"Shit, Felix! I'm not dead yet!" he laughed. "It'll pass in a bit. Just keep fighting." Felix looked up and saw Garet, Jenna, Ivan, Sheba, and Fehzhi fighting courageously.

"Spark Plasma!" Ivan and Sheba shouted in unison as bolts of lightning rained down. While Valukar was still reeling from the sting of the last attack, Fehzhi leapt up and delivered a powerful kick to his jaw.

"Picard!" Felix called out. He found the Lemurian and Master Hama standing near the helm, watching the battle. "Try to get the ship moving. Do whatever it takes." Picard and Hama nodded and turned to the tiller to devise a plan.

"Insolent fool," Valukar wheezed as blood dripped from his jaw. He wiped the blood dribbling from his chin and lifted his hammer high. Before he was able to bring his weapon down, he was struck with another Odyssey attack. This sent the beast staggering about the deck, swatting his hammer through the air.

"Jenna!" Felix shouted as he watched in horror as his sister slipped on the ice forming on the deck. She winced in pain as she tried to pull herself up, but her ankle was beginning to swell from the sprain. Quickly, she cast Cool Aura. It was only when she could hear the roars of Valukar did she realize the danger she was in. Paralyzed with fear and pain, she watched as he staggered towards her. "Move!" he cried. "Get up!"

"Flash!" Jenna shut her eyes as she waited for the inevitable. But when she heard a louder cry come from the beast, she opened her eyes. Garet was standing over her, a Mars Djinni at his command. When the firewall disappeared, he turned back and gave her a smile.

"Garet?" she stammered.

"It's OK," he replied. "I won't let him…"

"Look out!" she shouted. Garet spun around and saw a wave of flames coming towards him. He quickly raised his hand and cast Protect, but he still received some of the damage from the Mars summon. Jenna picked up the Atropos Rod laying beside her and aimed it at Valukar. "Life Shear!" Her most prized weapon did not fail her as the golden Fury leapt forth. 'I won't let you down, Garet.'

* * *

"It looks as if they are having trouble," Hama said as she glanced back at the battle. "You should go and help."

Picard let out a sigh. "I might as well. I can't really do anything here."

"What do you mean?" she gasped.

"The ship is completely frozen in the ice pack. There's no way she'll move unless we break the ice that's blocking her path," he explained. "And ice is forming on the wings. We'll never get her up in the air."

"Alex chose the perfect moment to attack…"

"We can't do anything until we get rid of Valukar," he said as he gazed at the battle. He watched as Fehzhi leapt up and kicked him once again in the jaw. This time, she dislocated it, spilling more blood onto the deck.

He could no longer speak. It wasn't simply because he lacked the physical capability to do so, it was because he was lost in his rage. The fire guard lifted his hammer and struck Fehzhi which sent her flying back. The others watched on helplessly as she hit her head against the mast and slid down unconscious.

"Picard…" Hama began as she turned back to him. "You're the only Mercury adept on board; you have to do something!"

But he kept staring, as if he was ignoring her. "I know," he began. "I know what to do. It's a risk that I'm willing to take."

"What are you talking about?"

"I have to do this, to save my crew and my ship." He reached into the collar of his shirt and pulled out a chain. He yanked it off his neck and handed it to Hama. "Keep this safe. You will know what to do."

Picard watched as the enraged monster stunned Jenna, leaving Ivan the only adept fully mobile. "Diamond Berg!" Picard shouted as ice fell down upon Valukar. Deep gashes were scattered across his body. His eyes darted in Picard's direction. "Come on Valukar!"

He spread his bat-like wings and soared over to Picard. The Lemurian leapt away from the beast's claws and stood near the prow, watching him. "Come for me…" he whispered. "I'm the one you want to kill."

Valukar's nostrils flared as he stepped closer. "Picard!" Hama screamed as she watched on helplessly. The beast charged at Picard, who nimbly leapt over him. As he passed under him, he landed on his back and drove his sword into his back. Despite his badly wounded jaw, Valukar still managed to cry out in pain. Now, the muscles in his back were damaged and he could no longer beat his wings. The fire demon's eyes grew wide with terror as he reeled over the side of the ship and crashed into the ice below.

"What happened?" Ivan asked as he ran over to his sister. But she was silent; her eyes fixed on the gaping hole in the ice in front of the ship. Below her feet, she could feel the vessel rock gently in the water. "Hama?" He placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her gently.

Felix managed to limp over to them, still feeling the effects of the stun jip. "Where's Picard?" he demanded. Hama looked down at the ground as she placed a hand over her mouth.

"Hama?" Ivan asked again.

"He…he sacrificed himself to save us, and the ship," she stammered. "He broke the ice…"

Felix and Ivan looked ahead and could see an opening in the ice pack before them. "But…how?" Felix asked, his voice quavering.

"He lured Valukar over…he took the bait and they fell over the side…" she replied before breaking down into tears.

"Picard!" Felix shouted as he ran over towards the prow. But it was in vain; nothing disturbed the surface of the water, except the occasional snowflake. "You idiot!" he screamed out into the emptiness.

* * *

"Felix?" the Mars adept asked as he stepped into the room. "I just wanted to let you know that we cleaned off most of the ice from the wings." But he received no response from the Venus adept who sat with his eyes fixed on the large map on the table before him. "What do you want us to do now?"

"What the hell are we supposed to do?" he snapped. "We lost both of our Mercury adepts, the only ones who could get the ship to move at a reasonable pace. We lost our captain, our friend. My friend." Garet watched as Felix clenched his fists on the table top. "You tell me what the fuck we're supposed to do in the middle of the ocean!" he shouted, finally looking Garet straight in the face.

"I'm sorry I asked," Garet said sheepishly as he left. "Hama wishes to speak with you…"

Felix lifted his head to find the Jupiter adept slowly enter the room and shut the door behind her. From within her robes, she produced the small silver key which Picard had given her. "What is this?" she asked as she placed it on the table before Felix.

"It's a key," he growled.

"I know," she huffed. "But do you know what it opens? Picard left it to me and told me that I would know what to do with it."

"How the hell would I know?" he sighed as he rested his head in his hand. "Look around the damn ship for anything that would require a key. That's what I would look for…"

Hama nodded and took the key. "Would you like me to bring you anything?" she asked, her hand on the doorknob.

"Yea, my sanity would be nice."

* * *

_"Keep this safe. You will know what to do."_

She opened the door slowly, as if she was waiting for him to jump with surprise at the sound. After noticing that she was doing this, she laughed to herself and pushed the door open. The curtains were drawn and the room was dark. "I'm sorry, Picard, but I don't know what to do," she sighed as she pulled the curtains open, allowing light to enter the room.

As she cast her eyes over the room, she found it hard to believe that he was actually gone. His belongings were still strewn about his cabin, waiting for him to come back and pick them up. It felt wrong of her to be in here; she barely knew Picard. It somehow seemed right for Felix to be in here instead of her. But it was best to leave him with his sorrow for now.

She pulled the key out of her pocket again. "Where do you go?" she asked it as she examined it. It was an ordinary silver key, tarnished with age. Her fingers closed around it as she looked around the room. A large wooden wardrobe caught her eye. It too was old and weather-beaten, like it had washed up onshore from some distant land. Then a curious glint appeared in her eye; there was a small keyhole below one of the knobs. She inserted the key and turned. To her surprise, it clicked open.

The smell of seawater and kelp filled the air as she pulled the doors open. A few ancient looking robes hung down from a dowel that went across the top of the wardrobe. Just above her eye level, was a small shelf. She stood on tiptoes as she felt around. Her fingers brushed against parchment.

"Success!" she whispered as she pulled them down. There were a few stray pieces of paper and six neatly-rolled parchments. There was a small desk next to the bed and she sat there as she unraveled the parchment. Ancient symbols dotted the paper which Hama could not read. "Ancient Lemurian," she mused as she examined them. "If only I could read them…"

She set those aside as she looked through the other papers. She found a letter in a language which she could read.

'My dearest Picard,

It has been so long since I have last seen your face. My brother and I await your return eagerly. Everyday I stand near the harbor, waiting for your fleet to return. I often ask myself why we became involved in this war. Why the Lemurians, such a proud race, would ever be involved in such a petty quarrel. My only wish is that you return to me safely…'

Hama set the paper down, feeling slightly embarrassed reading such a personal document. She took a quick glance at the signature. 'Your loving mother, Nina.' After shuffling through the remaining stray papers, she found them to be more letters from his mother and his uncle.

But her curiosity was focused more on the scrolls. She unraveled them again and tried to decipher them. "Is this what you wanted me to find?" She looked at each one individually, looking at both sides for a translation. "If it is, why is it in a language I can't read?" In her frustration, she began to pace around the room.

She looked back into the wardrobe and saw only robes. "That couldn't be what he wanted me to find. It has to be these papers." She began to pace again. "But maybe…" Her eyes examined the wardrobe again. "Maybe there's more than meets the eyes."

She pushed the robe aside and let out a gasp. Carved into the back of the wardrobe was the entire Ancient Lemurian alphabet. Below each character was a letter of Common Tongue. Hama ran back to the desk and found a blank sheet of parchment and a quill and quickly began copying down the translation. "How tragic that I never quite understood you until the end," she mused as she scribbled the characters across the page. "I admire your shrewdness, Admiral Picard."

* * *

**Shadow**: WHERE'S MY DRINK?

:Spark hides behind computer:

**Shadow**: Anyways, I just want to tell all of you a few things:

1. There will be stormshipping. If you're intuitive enough, you can guess what's going to happen to Picard.

**Spark**: :cough:hesnotdead:cough:

**Shadow**: Thing number 2: I'm making up the names and languages here. Don't steal them. They're crappy names and languages.

**Spark:** I'll say…

**Shadow**: One more thing: the stuff that was in the letter from his mother, that's leading up to a…

:Shadow's computer suddenly suffers a fatal system error. The words "leave a review" appear on the screen:


	12. Fantasy

**Shadow**:…I have over 50 reviews…

**Spark**: So?

**Shadow**: SO? :hits Spark with a shoe: Anyways, my sincerest thanks to everyone for reviewing. It means so much to me to know that people actually read these. And since Spark is unconscious, I will do the thank you's:

Navy Blu: Heheh…stormshipping…it's going to be very prominent later on in the story, since Spark told everyone he's not dead…

Mercury: NOOOO! Anything but that!!! :cowers:

Wind-Adept-Aly: I won't tell if you won't…Plus, I love Picard. I wouldn't kill him off like that. Technically, he's still too young to die. Even after like 200 years…:hands a Picard plushie:

Lord Cynic: Well, your plans have succeeded…I am thouroughly confused…

Chel-Bel: I love Picard! :chews on Picard plushie: He shall make a glorious and overly-dramatic resurrection in a later chapter. Maybe the suspense would have been greater if Spark hadn't told everyone…but then again, I would be cowering in a corner, hiding from angry readers.

HolyAdept: I'm glad you're enjoying this! That's awesome that you plan on writing your own story! Email me when you're done since I'd love to read it! And yes, there will be…:counts on fingers: At least three major Alex battles. In fact, I was planning one for the next chapter.

**Shadow**: Alrighty. Onto the chapter!

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: Fantasy**

"So you say that they killed Valukar?" He turned his head towards him, his long blue hair trailing behind him. The Star Magician nodded.

"I still think you should have chosen someone stronger," he answered without a hint of remorse in his voice.

"What a pity," Alex sighed sarcastically, ignoring his companion's suggestion.

"Shall I give the order to send the fleet to meet them near Yallam?"

"No, that won't be necessary," he replied as he shook his head. "Instead, send the forces to the Western Sea. They have left the continents of Atteka and Hesperia open for conquest."

"But what about Isaac?!" he shouted as he stomped his foot. "Before you continue with your silly notions of conquest, we need to eliminate them! They're the only ones who will resist!"

"I have someone lined up for them. They are currently en route to the Apoji Islands," he answered coldly.

"But why there?"

"My dear Star Magician," he snickered. "After that long voyage through the southern passage, they will need to stop and re-supply."

"But why do you not think they will stop in Garoh or Yallam? Valukar attacked them near the Wolf's River, so they must be close by to land."

"We have the continent of Osenia occupied. I have a small battalion in every village across the countryside. They're not that stupid," he explained. "They will go to Apoji. And if my assumptions are correct, they will continue on to Izumo to the north."

"I see," he stated. After a long pause, he turned for the door. "I underestimated you intelligence my liege. I shall give the orders as you commanded."

* * *

It was a terrible feeling, being what she was in her current situation. Every time she looked down at herself, she remembered that day. It was supposed to be a time of happiness and rejoicing. But he took all of that away. And now here she was, locked in a tower still in her wedding dress.

It had gotten much dirtier and was now an off-white color. A few beads and pearls had fallen off, but Mia was always sure to bend down and pick them up. She scooped them up off the nightstand and counted them. All nine of them were still there. Gently, she placed them back on the stand, careful not to let them roll off.

"Oh Isaac," she sobbed as she slid off the bed and onto the floor. "Why did this have to happen to you? To us?" She placed her face in her hands and began to cry. After a few moments, she took a deep breath and wiped her face. "Do you still remember our conversation that evening? All of my hopes and dreams I had for us?"

_"Oh! It's beautiful!" she gasped as they climbed to the top of the hill. Then sun was just beginning to set and the sky was painted warm shades of lavender and peach. _

_The only thing that made the scene less breathtaking was the town of __Vale__, which was completely leveled. A few rickety buildings had been built over the ruins of the old city. The skeletons of new houses stood in the shadows and loomed over the remains of their predecessors. "This was my secret spot when I was little," Isaac told her as they sat down. "A grove of trees used to be here and the hill was much higher I think…" _

_"But they sky is still just as beautiful," she said as she gazed at him. It wasn't the first time she had watched the sunset with him. But this was the first time as his fiancée. _

_"Once we're married," he began. "And when Vale is rebuilt, I'm going to build us a house." _

_"That would be wonderful," she sighed as she leaned her head against his shoulder. _

_"Have anything in mind?" _

_Mia smiled. "I always wanted to live on top of a hill with an old oak tree behind the house." She paused and slipped a giggle in. "Too bad Vale isn't hilly like it used to be." _

_"Go on." _

_"There would be a little vegetable garden growing in front of the house, to the left of the walkway leading to the front door. And a flower garden too. The plants would grow big over time and gradually begin crawling their way up the side of the house. Eventually, the house and the plants would become apart of each other." Her smile widened as she envisioned it. "Little creeper vines growing up the sides. And there would be thousands of butterflies and hummingbirds all over the garden." _

_"You're just saying that you want lots of plants because I'm a Venus adept, aren't you?" he asked in a teasing voice. _

_"Of course not!" she snorted before she continued. "But then there would be a small garden fence, not a picket one though; something simple. And a little waist-high gate that led into our front yard. The hinges would squeak as you opened it, so that way I'd know when you were coming home." _

_"You have quite an imagination," he chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her. "I can't do anything about a hill…but the flower garden sounds nice." _

_"You're not just saying that?" _

_"Of course not," he grinned, mimicking her. _

The bed-stand beside her was old and a dusty film had settled along the sides. A weak and desperate smile grew over her face as she ran her finger through it in a straight line. Then she connected another line to it, and then another. She traced the shape of a triangle on top of her square, making the shape of a house. Then she drew her oak tree on the right side of the house. Wavy lines and dots represented her flower garden and then a few lines for a fence finished it.

"Why can't we just have that?" she whispered. "Why is it that we always have to save the world? Just once, I wish someone else would do the saving for us." She began to cry again. "I didn't want fame and recognition! I didn't want to be remembered by everyone in this stupid world! All I ever wanted was to have a happy and simple life with someone I loved!" She clenched her hand into a fist and smudged her drawing away.

She looked up at what she had done. "Was it only just a dream? A fantasy of mine?" she asked the smudge. "Will things ever go back to being the way they were before?"

* * *

The storm had cleared and the snowy coastline of Tundaria had slipped away. Now the temperature was getting warmer and Jenna could stand out on the deck again, although Felix advised against it. However, Jenna insisted that her ankle would be fine with the crutch that Ivan had made for her. But the scenery was getting boring since they were out in open ocean again.

"How's the ankle doing?" a voice behind her asked. She looked over her shoulder to find Garet standing beside her.

"Much better!" she laughed. "Felix has been continually casting cure spells on it, which help a lot with the pain and the swelling. It's only a sprain and I should be better by the time we reach the Apoji Islands."

"It should take little less than a week," he added. But then he remembered that's how long it would take when Picard was at the helm. Since it was his ship, he was able to power it more efficiently and cover more distance in less time. Now that he was gone, it would take longer to get anywhere. He flushed a bit, realizing his error.

"How's Fehzhi doing?" Jenna asked, darting away from that subject.

"I think Ivan said she's feeling better. She came to a few hours ago," he explained.

"I thought she wasn't going to make it since she was out for so long!"

"Well, we all got our share of scrapes and bruises," he laughed, gesturing to a bandage wrapped around his forehead.

"I'm surprised you can still form complete sentences after that blow to the head," she sighed. "One would have thought that would have knocked out all of your brain cells."

"I resent that!" he snorted.

"'Resent'? That's a pretty big word you're using there," she giggled.

"Resent, resentment: displeasure, vexation, irritation, offense, umbrage, pique, rancor, and soreness just to name a few synonyms!" he beamed.

Jenna let her jaw drop slightly in surprise. "Since when do you know all the synonyms for 'resentment'?"

Garet blushed a little. "Well…you see…I'm just trying to…" All those hours of pouring over dictionaries and thesauruses weren't paying off at this moment. "I'm trying to impress someone."

"Who?" she asked, her voice dripping with curiosity.

"Just…about everyone on the ship!" he answered, catching himself. "Everyone thinks I'm just some obtuse, adlepated, shallow person. Perhaps if I extended my vocabulary…"

Jenna snickered as she threw an arm around his shoulder, causing him to blush even more. "Garet…" she laughed. "They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks." She looked up at him and saw that same vapid and empty look in his face. "By that I'm implying that no matter what you do, you'll always be the same old Garet to me."

"You really mean that?" he stammered.

"Garet, I've known you since we were in diapers. You're always going to be the one who would dig up worms and then try to eat them, thinking they were some kind of candy."

"That was Felix who told me that…" he grumbled, remembering his childhood.

"You always believed everything he told you!" she snorted as she leaned over laughing. Once she had regained composure, she stood up and stared at the sea again. "That's what I'm saying: your silly, goofy personality is why everyone likes you so much! Don't be someone you're not."

"I guess you're right."

"Besides, why were you trying to impress everyone on board?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

He blushed again. "Er…" he blurted.

"So you are trying to impress a certain someone! I knew it!" she exclaimed. "Who is it?"

Garet placed his hands in his pockets and started to walk away. He was only three feet away when he answered her. "You," he said over his shoulder. Then he started for the door that led below-decks.

Jenna still stared at the door, wearing a puzzled expression on her face. 'He wanted to impress me? But why?'

* * *

Sheba sighed with frustration as she flopped down in her bunk. "What's wrong?" Jenna asked as she noticed the Jupiter Adept's dramatic entrance.

"That Hama! Sometimes she really knows how to rub me the wrong way!" she pouted as she sat up, arms crossed across her chest. This was extremely unusual for Sheba to get so flustered, especially at another Jupiter Adept.

"What did she do?"

"Well, she's always harping at Ivan, Fehzhi, and me about our 'meditation'. Every day, she expects us to drop everything and go meditate!" she explained.

"What's wrong with that?" Jenna asked, rolling onto her side to face Sheba.

"Today, we got ready like always and then she doesn't show up!" Jenna's eyes widened as her friend continued. "We searched the ship and found her in Picard's quarters, pouring over some musty old documents. Then, she had the audacity to tell us to 'leave her be'."

"In Picard's quarters? But why would she be there?"

"That's just what I was thinking…"

* * *

**Shadow**: I wouldn't exactly call this a filler chapter. I wanted to focus on Mia's feelings/emotions on the whole ordeal because I felt like I kinda left her out. :sweatdrop: And then of course there HAD to be flameshipping and events leading up to stormshipping.

:Spark sits up:

**Shadow**: You finally came to. Congratulations. Because now you get to hear the good news: I've been receiving applications for my second muse. I will be posting snippets of the interviews in later chapters. After I'm done interviewing, you (the reader) get to vote. Won't that be fun?

**Spark**: No.


	13. PoisonTip Frogs

**Shadow**: I'm really anxious to crank out a few chapters before school starts on Wednesday. So the very most I can probably do is two more chapters…I don't want to go back.

**Spark**: That's what your notebook is for.

**Shadow**: Are you crazy? I'm taking three AP classes! Do the thank-yous so we can get on with the interview! :checks watch: They'll be here any minute!

**Spark**: Fine:

Lord Cynic: Yes, Shadow does love her thesaurus. And the dictionary often comes in handy as well. It's so convenient since their relatively close by on the bookshelf behind us.

Akachi: How was your vacation? Anyways, this chapter is going to be heavy on the flameshipping. And now Shadow's mad at me because I ruined it for all of you about the Picard thing…oh, she'll have my head for that.

Navy Blu: Well, it says they're childhood friends and since Isaac, Garet, and Jenna all lived pretty close to each other and their parents and good friends, I'd assume they'd be friends for a while. But whatever. It's a minor detail :)

Wind-Adept-Aly: Shadow says that she has sent you a muffin basket. She also recommends that the two of you should form an evil…I mean…glorious alliance and write many wonderful fanfics.

Isaac's Girlfriend: :hiss: Dullahan is eeevil! Shadow beat him last night on one of her games. Fomina Sage=hateful.

**Shadow**: Thank you Spark. :shuffles through paperwork: Alright, so the first interview that we shall start off with is Fizz.

**Fizz**: Greetings.

**Shadow**: So Fizz, tell me a little about yourself.

**Fizz**: Well, I'm a very calm Djinni. I like to go with the flow and nothing really bothers me all that much. Well…except one thing.

**Shadow**: Oh, what's that?

**Fizz**: Sandwiches…

**Shadow**: X.x Sandwiches? One of my favorite things in the world?

**Fizz**: I was forced to eat them too many times as a young Djinni.

**Shadow**: Er…what other redeeming qualities do you have?

**Fizz**: Let's see: I'm good with other people and Djinni. In the ad you said you wanted someone to help you with Spark. I can deal with him…heheh….

**Spark**: O.o Can we start the chapter already?

* * *

**Chapter Twleve: Poison-Tip Frogs**

"Well, what do you think? Can you get it done in time?" The heat and the humidity were stifling, causing Felix to adjust his collar. Sweat ran down the back of his neck as he stood on the docks in the bright sun. A young man, perhaps in his late twenties, walked up to the ship and gave it another glance.

"I don't know mon," he sighed turning back to the Venus adept. "There are a lot of repairs that need to be done. Give me a week or two and it'll be good as new." He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and gave Felix a look of uncertainty.

"Well you see, we're in a bit of a hurry. We need to get to Izumo as soon as possible," he explained.

"But why do you need to so soon? Stay a while! People are somewhat reassured when I tell them that it will take some time to fix their boat. They like staying here in Apojii. The weather's always calm…"

"I'm sorry," Felix said cutting him off. "Just…tell me what needs to be done."

"Well, first of all you need a mast real bad. And we need to see about getting you a new sail, since it seems to be missing…"

"We don't need a new sail," Felix explained. "The ship doesn't require one."

"What are you talkin' about? How does the ship move then?"

"Psyenergy," he answered, pulled the Black Orb out of his pocket. "It was my friend's ship; a Lemurian ship."

"Well I'll be a monkey's uncle," he laughed as he looked at the ship again. "I thought they were just fairy tales!" He turned back to Felix with a wide grin on his face. "What are those wings for? Can the ship really fly?"

"What do you think they're for? Decoration?" he snickered.

"It's amazing! I've never seen anything like this!" The man walked up to the ship and ran his hand along the smooth undamaged wood. "What did you say your name was again?"

"Felix," he answered.

"The name's Tule," he said as he offered his hand. "And I will do my best to get your ship repaired as fast as I can."

"You really mean that?" Felix gasped as he shook his hand.

"I've always dreamed of seeing one," he smiled. "But this one's badly damaged. I want to fix it, so I can see it in all its glory."

'Picard would be happy to hear that.'

* * *

'I'll give you half now, and the other half when you finish the job.' He could feel the weight of the coin purse tied at his belt. And it felt good. A strange sound met his ears, causing him to spin around in the direction of the noise. "What the hell are you doing, Morgan?"

The sound was coming from a basket being struck on the ground. Its owner looked up at the man with a sly grin on his face. "Do you know what's under this basket, Navampa?" The man narrowed his eyes. "A poison-tip frog!"

"Why the hell are you catching frogs? We have work to do!" he bellowed.

Morgan stood up, holding his basket carefully. "I am working. You see, my father who was a ranger taught me how to make poisoned darts from the venom of a poison-tip frog." Navampa listened, showing signs of interest. "He taught me to catch as many frogs as I could in a basket. Then kill them and roast their bodies so that the venom seeps out of their skin. Collect the venom on the tips of darts and there!"

"I underestimated you my friend," Navampa grinned. "How effective are these darts?"

"Very," he replied. "When struck by one, you will die within ten hours. Those ten hours leading up to death are very agonizing. Your body is paralyzed and you cannot move. Then, there is the fever…"

"So we stick Isaac with one of your darts and let him die slowly. Then we'll bring Alex his head. Is that what you had planned?"

"Only if you think so. You're the leader."

"Well then, let's catch us some frogs!"

* * *

Jenna sat cross-legged in the warm surf. In her hand was a large piece of fruit and as she bit into it, the red juice ran down her chin. With her clean hand, she wiped the juice off and then cleaned it in the water.

"Where did you get that?" Sheba whined as she ran over to Jenna.

"Ask Ivan," she replied before taking another bite. "He gave it to me."

"Well where did he go?" she sighed as she looked around. "I'm starved…" Her prayers were answered as a ripe guava fell and hit her on the head. After bending down and picking it up out of the sand, she looked into the tree-tops above her and saw Ivan, sulking in the branches of a palm tree.

"As you wish mi-lady," he giggled, giving her a slight nod. Her face flushed red slightly.

"Very funny," she snorted as she sat down next to Jenna. "Just don't drop anything on Felix if he comes by."

"Don't count on it," he said from the tree. "Isaac told me that he's helping out with the boat repairs."

"He's helping with the repairs?" Jenna gasped as she looked up at Ivan.

"Mmmhmmm," he replied as he stuffed half a banana in his mouth. "Said the repairman gave him a deal since he would help out."

"It figures," she sighed. "So where did everyone else get to?"

"I think Fehzhi is resting, Isaac and Garet were getting more food, and Hama's pouring over those papers," Sheba explained.

"Still?" Ivan asked, dropping a banana peel from the tree.

"Yea, she moved all her crap from the boat to the inn," Sheba snorted. "Won't even go out and enjoy the sunshine. It's not like we'll be seeing much more of it in Izumo."

Ivan leapt down from the tree while still holding his sack of fruit. However, he had forgotten the banana peel and slipped, landing right on his bottom. "Well, I'm off. Hopefully I can get Hama to stop with all of that reading or whatever it is that she's looking at." He turned back towards the path when he found himself staring face-to-face with a taller man.

"Are you Isaac?" he asked. Ivan felt intimidated by the man's stature and his stocky figure.

"No," he answered hesitantly.

"Well do you know where I can find him?" he asked again.

"Why would I tell you?" Ivan replied dryly.

"Don't get smart with me, boy!" he growled as he lifted Ivan by his shirt collar. "Now tell me where he is!"

"Hey! Put him down!" Jenna shouted as she stood up. "Unless you want me to burn your flesh off."

"What are you going to do to me little missy?" he laughed, still clutching Ivan.

Sheba stood up and shot a scowl at him. She raised her hand slightly, casting a weak Bolt near his feet. "Leave Ivan alone!" she hissed. "Or I'll do something much worse."

The man grinned at the two girls and tossed Ivan aside. "You want to play little girl?" He pulled out a knife from his pocket and started inching towards them. "Then let's play!"

"Dragon Fume!" Jenna shouted as she raised her arm. A large plume of flames in the form of a dragon encircled the man, sending him staggering back. Once the flames dissipated, he collapsed into the sand. His arms and face were covered in burns and his clothes were singed.

Ivan walked over and placed his foot on the man's chest, holding him to the ground. "I really REALLY hate fighting. In fact, I wished this had turned out in a less violent way. But I'm real defensive of my friends and I want to know just why you're looking for Isaac."

"I was sent here," he moaned.

"Who are you and who sent you?" Ivan asked, removing his foot from the man's chest.

"My name is Azart," he replied. "And I was sent here by Alex."

"I never saw that one coming," Jenna sighed. She crouched down to Azart's side and carefully cast Cool Aura on him, healing his burns.

"You-you healed me?" he gasped as he examined himself, and then Jenna.

"We're not like Alex," she explained, still at his side.

"Psyenergy can be used for much more than fighting," Ivan continued. "You only witnessed its power of destruction at Colosso all those years ago."

"My apologies," he stammered as he rolled onto his knees and bowed before the adepts. "I am the coward of my party. I always just flex my muscles without thinking. But my friends may have already gotten to Isaac."

"Hold on one minute!" Sheba shouted. "Just a few seconds ago, you wanted to kill us and Isaac. Now you want to protect us?"

"I wasn't to keen on coming here as it was. But when I felt the power of your healing, I had a change of heart. Where are your other friends? They are in great danger!"

"They're down by the docks," Ivan answered.

"Hurry, you must go to them!" he shouted. "The others should be there by now!" They exchanged glances and began to run off.

"Wait, aren't you coming with us, Azart?" Jenna asked, looking back at the man. He staggered to his feet and then fell back.

"My legs are still badly burned…"

"Here," Jenna offered, turning back to him.

"No, I'll be fine, just go!"

She nodded and followed Ivan and Sheba down to the docks. Once the three were gone, Azart sneered as he got to his feet. "What fools. They believed every word I said!" He chuckled to himself as he brushed the sand off of him. "We'll just have to teach them not to be so gullible!"

* * *

"Felix!" Jenna shouted as she sprinted onto the docks. He looked up from his work and gave his sister a puzzled look. "Where's Isaac?" she panted as she bend over and rested her hands on her knees.

"He's below-decks, helping Tule with a leak in the hull. Why do you ask?"

"There's a group of men looking for Isaac! Alex sent them to kill him!" she gasped.

"How do you know?" he asked.

"One of them attacked us on the beach…"

"Hull repair's fixed!" Isaac called up to Felix, unaware of the danger he was in.

"Stay down there, Isaac!" Felix shouted.

"What's going on?" Garet asked as he popped his head out of the door. An arrow whizzed by and struck the doorframe to his side.

"Thank you my dear," Azart laughed, still holding his bow. Felix and Jenna spun around to find a group of four men, standing before them. "Thank you for leading us right to your friends."

"You liar!" she shouted. "Dragon Fume!" The plume of flames rained down on Azart once again and re-opened his wounds.

Two of the other men drew their swords and leapt forward. "Come on out, Isaac!" one of them taunted. "I'm sure you'll remember us from Colosso! Come on out and fight us man to man!"

Felix drew his sword and stepped towards them. "I'll fight you," he growled.

"Fine then," the other man snorted. He leapt forward and charged at Felix. As the man sped towards him, Felix leapt aside and struck him as he flew past.

"Your battle style is only second rate," he chuckled. As he was taunting his opponent, the other man charged towards him. Felix heard him running towards him and turned around. But before he could attack, Garet slammed into him, sending the man flying off the dock.

"I've got your back," he grinned, giving Felix the thumbs-up.

"Don't think you've won that easily," the fourth man sneered. "Azart and I can still fight." Azart staggered to his feet, pulling an arrow out of his quiver. He drew the bowstring back and fired. The arrow whizzed past Felix and Garet and struck the doorway once again. Jenna looked over her shoulder and saw Tule and Isaac trying to sneak away.

"Let me take care of this," Morgan said, placing an arm before Azart. He pulled a hollowed tube out of his pocket and placed a feathered dart inside. Jenna watched as he took aim at Isaac and began to take a breath in.

"No!" she shouted as she leapt towards him. The moment he blew out, Jenna tackled him to the ground. But she was too late; the dart had already taken flight.

"Garet!" Felix gasped.

Jenna ignored what was going on behind her. She drew her arm back and punched Morgan in the jaw before jumping up and casting Searing Beam on Azart.

"Let me take it out…" Felix said. Jenna got up and looked over to see Garet wincing in pain on the ground while Felix was crouched over Garet.

"What happened?" she gasped as she ran over.

"Garet was hit with that dart," he explained as he grasped the dart.

"It's nothing," Garet said weakly as he tried to sit up. He let out a yelp as Felix yanked it out of his leg. He proceeded to cast a Cure spell on it.

"Don't touch that wound!" Tule yelled as he and Isaac ran to their side.

"What's wrong?" Jenna asked.

"The little native-boy here knows exactly what's wrong," Morgan laughed as he wiped the blood off of his chin. "That's a poisoned dart, laced with the venom of a poison-tip frog!"

Garet began to sweat as he heard these words. He grabbed his leg, where the dart had pierced him. "Garet?" Isaac gasped as he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. The fire-adept's eyes slowly fluttered shut as he fell back, unconscious. "Wake up!" he shouted.

"He only has twelve hours left to live, so you'd better make the most of it," Morgan laughed. "That dart was meant for you Isaac. I don't know what would be worse: dying by that dart or watching your best friend die by it for you."

"You coward," Isaac growled as he drew the Sol Blade. He slowly walked over toward Morgan, carrying the sword at his side.

"What are you doing?" he stammered as he began to scoot away. His words never reached Isaac's ears. The last things the Colosso gladiator saw were the gleam of the sword and the rage in Isaac's eyes.

* * *

**Shadow**: Psycho Isaac!! Run away!

:Spark's mouth is duct-taped shut:

**Shadow**: Now you can't ruin the rest of the story for everyone! OK, take it Fizz.

**Fizz**: Yes, so now Shadow has left you on an evil cliff-hanger. Will Garet die? Or will Shadow pull some crazy plot-twist out of her hat? Leave a review and you'll find out in the next chapter.

**Shadow**: Hey…my plot-twists aren't crazy…


	14. Realization

**Shadow**: I'm not going to dilly-dally and wait to post this. I have approximately 28 hours left of summer vacation and I am going to make good use out of those 28 hours.

:Spark still has his mouth duct taped shut:

**Shadow**: You know what's going to happen to Garet…I don't want all my readers having it ruined for them.

:Spark struggles:

**Shadow**: Hah! You have no arms! Anyways, onto interview number two. Today's is…Felix.

**Felix**: You know…I didn't sign up for this…

**Shadow**: Silence! Now tell me a little about yourself?

**Felix**: Er…Well it all started when I was a little boy and when Papa…

**Shadow**: Not that much! Like your personality and stuff like that.

**Felix**: I don't like fangirls.

**Shadow**: Ouch.

**Felix**: Meaning I don't like you.

**Shadow**: I resent that! I am most certainly not a fangirl!

**Felix**: You had a dog named after me…

**Shadow**: The people at the pound named him that! It was purely coincidental! Honest!

**Felix**: I am slightly doubtful of your credibility...

**Shadow**: To prove my point…:grabs flamethrower and burns a crowd of fangirls: There!

**Spark**: Er…I'd better do the thank-you's:

Xanda: I promised I wouldn't say…but I'm sure it's going to be pretty obvious after this chapter.

Miyuki2004: Yay! They like us! They really like us!

Wind-Adept-Aly: Well, I'm pretty sure there's a cure…it begins with L and ends with E…

Navy Blu: Pop-up blockers can be a gift and a curse…:hands Ivan a banana:

Isaac's Girlfriend: Oh wow…that's frightening…:hides: Shadow…I need a new pair of pants…really.

Chel Bel: Picard will come back soon. Don't know when exactly, but he will come back.

Holy Adept: Sure thing, I'll just have to email you about it. Send me a copy! I'd love to beta-read it!

Akachi: If Isaac hadn't killed him, I'm sure you would have. Heh…

Chammuran Lailan: Wow, thanks SO MUCH for all of the reviews!!!! It means so much to us! And I'm sure there are books more interesting than us…but I can't think of any at the moment. Is that a bad thing? Oh, and it's best not to cross paths with Shadow when there is a sandwich near by. If she doesn't get her sandwich…whoo boy. Scaryness.

**Shadow**: Sorry it took me so long to update. So…much…homework.

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: Realization**

It was Jenna's voice that brought Isaac back to reality. "Isaac…" she stammered. He stood over Morgan's body, the Sol Blade stained with blood. He could hear it as it dripped onto the wooden planks below his feet. A horrified expression was frozen onto the man's face; the last look he gave Isaac as the cold steel was plunged through his chest.

"Let me look at him," Tule offered. Isaac turned around slowly and watched as the tanned islander crouched down. He placed a hand on Garet's thigh where the dart had struck and closed his eyes. Isaac's did the opposite: they grew wide with shock.

"You're an adept?" he stammered. Tule's hands glowed blue, as did Garet's leg. He ignored Isaac until he had finished with the spell.

"He's not dead," he said. At his words, everyone let out the breath they had been holding. "But he's not far from it. If the proper measures are not taken, he will die."

"What do we have to do?" Jenna asked.

"There is no antidote for this venom," Tule explained. "Fortunately, that man didn't know the proper way to make poison-tipped darts and your friend only received a small amount of venom. I purged his body of as much of it as possible, but…"

"But what?" Jenna asked again.

"But his body has already absorbed some of the poison. We must let him rest and pray that his body is strong enough to overcome."

"Garet's strong enough," Isaac said confidently. "I know he is. He's been strong this whole time. I know he'll pull through."

* * *

As if the weather was mourning for Garet, the heavens opened and it rained all night. The air became heavier and the humidity became almost unbearable. The discomfort caused Jenna to toss and turn in her sleep. She awoke, drenched in sweat. Sheba tossed and turned as well in her bed across from her. Quietly so as not to disturb her, Jenna slipped out of bed and found her way outside.

She was startled to find Isaac sitting outside as well. He sat out the edge of the porch, his feet dangling down. "Couldn't sleep?" he laughed.

"This weather's driving me nuts!" she moaned as she sat down next to him.

"I'm just worried about Garet," Isaac sighed. "I keep hearing Morgan's words…I keep thinking that Garet could die because of me. And then as I think about it more, I realize that all of you could die as a result of me."

"Don't say that!" she scolded. Isaac looked up at her and managed a weak smile. The two sat in silence for a while and just listened to the rain as it struck the roof above them.

"You're worried about Garet too?"

"Of course," she replied with a smile. "Even though I have Felix, Garet's a lot like a brother to me. Felix wasn't there when I really needed him, and I don't hold it against him, but Garet was. And for that, I'm grateful in a way. And he's still like a brother to me; the goof-ball brother I never had." Isaac managed a small laugh.

"You know what? I think Garet would go to the moon and back for you."

"What? You mean that?"

Isaac suddenly realized what he had said. "Well, I mean that he would do that for just about everyone. I think he sees everyone like his extended family."

"I can see him doing that," she snickered as she looked out at the village. Silence came over the two of them again. "Isaac, I'm sorry."

Without having it explained to him, he knew for what she was apologizing. "It's OK," he replied.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything," she chuckled as she punched him in the arm. "We're still buddies, right?"

"Of course."

"You know, since we're on the topic, I should go check up on 'the creature'," she laughed, referring to Garet. She stood up and walked into the small hut where he was sleeping. Like in hers, it was dark and humid inside. But at first glance, Garet seemed unaffected by the temperature. As she stepped closer to his bedside, she noticed that his face was covered from sweat. "He's got a fever, just like Tule said," she whispered aloud as she placed a hand on his forehead.

She pulled a stool over and sat down. On the bed-side table, she noticed a small basin filled with water. A cloth floated at the top and Jenna dipped her hand in the water and grabbed it. The water wasn't very cold, but cooler than the surrounding air. Carefully, she wrung it out and wiped the sweat off of his face.

"To the moon and back, huh?" she asked his sleeping figure. She looked around the room and found a thick book sitting on the table by the door. Curious, she got up and walked over to the table. The musty smell of an old book met her nose as she cracked the spine open. 'A dictionary?'

_"Since when do you know all the synonyms for 'resent'?" _

_"I'm trying to impress someone." _

_"Who is it?"_

_"…you." _

Jenna shut the book, mulling over his words. 'He was trying to impress me?'

_"You know what? I think Garet would go to the moon and back for you."_

That's when she finally realized it. 'That would explain why he's been acting so strangely around me. That time in Lalivero when he saved me from the crumbling building. And when we were lost in the forest…that definitely wasn't a hug between two friends.' She turned and looked at the sleeping Mars Adept. 'Garet's in love with me.'

* * *

**Shadow**: I must also apologize for the short-ness of this chapter. I haven't had that much time to do much writing thanks to all of my stinking homework. But I promise that the next spare moment I have, will go to writing this.


	15. The Eye

**Shadow:** It's been two years and I'm finally going to finish this! A lot has happened since I last posted a chapter: I graduated from high school, finished my first year at college, fell in love, started nursing school, etc. Sorry to leave you all hanging but I promise not to leave you hanging again! 

**Chapter Fourteen: The Eye**

_The sun was setting as Mia stepped out onto the deck of the ship. Brilliant hues of gold and rose were streaked across the sky with gentle brushstrokes. A smile spread across her face as she took in the beauty of her surroundings. She wrapped her arms around her, closed her eyes, and drank in the salty sea air. Suddenly, she was back in Imil on a summer's evening, standing on the cliff looking out on the sea. _

_Footsteps broke her silent reverie. "Oh, it's you!" she gasped as she released herself from her embrace. "The sunset looks so beautiful!" she said with a smile as she turned away. _

_"Yes, it is beautiful," Isaac trailed off as he joined her at her side. Suddenly, he turned to her. She could feel him staring at her. "But it pales in comparison to your beauty."_

_She looked back at him with a smile of modesty. "You're so sweet," she whispered. "You've always been so sweet to me. I never really got a chance to fully thank you for saving back there." She remembered their recent fight against a school of sea creatures that had jumped on board earlier that day. _

_They stepped closer towards each other. Mia no longer felt like a shy little girl around him. She felt confident in her affections toward Isaac and felt sure too of his feelings for her. He always met her gaze with warmth and she felt a longing to hold him in her arms. "Thank you," she whispered in a volume only loud enough for the two of them to hear. _

_"You're welcome," he whispered back. Gently, he placed a hand on her cheek. They leaned closer and their lips finally met. Mia closed her eyes as she allowed her body to fall into his arms. Their lips parted and she rested her head on his shoulder as they held each other. This was not their first secret meeting and this was not Mia's first kiss. But every moment felt so sweet, that it felt like the first time all over again. "Mia," he whispered as he pulled away slightly._

_"What is it?" she asked as she looked up at him. He pursed his lips nervously as he held her tight. There was hesitation in his voice as he said her name. But none whatsoever in his eyes. _

_"Mia," he repeated as he stroked her face, "I love you." _

_"And I love you," she replied. They kissed again and Isaac squeezed her tight. She felt whole and complete having confirmation of something she had sensed for the longest time. _

Her mind was made up—tonight was to be the night. The only other time she had been this resolute in her decision was the night she told Isaac she loved him. Now, she would continue to prove her love for him by destroying Alex and his plans.

She knew what Alex had in store for Isaac and the others. It had been more than a week without word from Morgan and his cronies, which caused Alex to believe the worst: they were dead. By Isaac's hands no doubt. Mia was proud, yet fearful at the same time. Had Isaac spilled another man's blood? No matter. It was time to act.

Mia smoothed her robes and walked over to the door of her prison. Quietly, she knocked on the door. "Hello? Are you there?" she asked. She heard a shuffling and the clanking of armor from the other side.

"What?" a gruff yet sleepy voice asked.

"I wish to speak with Alex," she replied. "It is urgent."

There was a jingling of keys and the lock clicked open. Her guard pulled open the door and stepped aside to allow her to pass. He slammed the door shut and followed her down the dimly lit corridor to the master chamber where Alex slept. As they approached, Mia could see light from beneath the door—Alex was still awake.

The guard banged on the door. "My lord, the girl wishes to speak with you." No sooner than he finished his sentence, the door swung open to reveal Alex seated at a desk.

"Leave us," he ordered as Mia stepped inside. The guard bowed and shut the door. Alex turned to Mia with a smile. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Mia slyly returned his smile. "I have come to concede defeat, Alex. You win."

"What do you mean my dearest?" he asked. Mia knew to what he was referring but she also knew of Alex's pride and how he enjoyed having it stroked.

"You have won my affection Alex," she continued. With a sigh, she put on her best act. "I have lost all faith in Isaac. He hasn't come for me, and I was sure that by now he would have made some effort to save me."

Alex wasn't falling for it and she could sense it. Pushing feelings of nausea aside, she approached him. "I'm telling you the truth, Alex. I've fallen in love with you." He hands slid onto his shoulders and she bent down to kiss him. He welcomed her affections and pulled her onto his lap.

This was the signal. Mist, who had been hiding beneath her robes the entire time wriggled her way out and cast her soothing spell on Alex. Not even the immortal adept was immune to her magic. Mia could feel his hold around her waist loosen until his arms finally fell limp at his side. She pulled away and wiped her mouth. "Forgive me, Isaac," she whispered as she stepped aside.

Mist leapt from her robes onto Alex's shoulder where she continued to cast her sleeping spell on him. "Keep him asleep as long as you can. Just give me enough time to find that charm," she asked the Djinni who wagged her tail in reply.

Alex kept a talisman on him--a talisman that granted him the power to warp. She knew it wasn't a teleport lapis or any other kind of magical psyenergetic talisman, but something imbued with a dark magic. "Mia! Come look here!" a young Alex's voice cried out. His voice beckoned her to her memories. She was a mere six years old as she galloped after him in the snow.

"What is it? Where have you been? Mother has been looking everywhere for you!" she yelled. Alex stood on the ice, holding out something in his hand.

"I found this cave beneath the waterfall!" he panted as she walked up to him. "I found a way around the ice and there was a huge cavern, filled with these dark ice crystals."

"You and your silly made-up stories," she snorted as she crossed her arms disapprovingly. "You're going to be in big trouble when Mother finds out you skipped out on your studies like this."

"No! I'm telling the truth!" he begged. "There really was a cave. And look what I found!" He thrust his hand out and showed her what appeared to be a smooth, black marble as large as a peach pit. "It has psyenergy in it. I used it to get back out!"

Mia bent down to examine this strange object. "What is it?" she asked skeptically. Her face was within inches of the stone when it rolled over in Alex's palm on its own. She gasped as lids parted to reveal an eye. The pupil looked like that of a snake, a single black slit running down the length. Alex took her hand and closed his eyes. A scene appeared in Mia's mind. The front of the sanctum, wreathed in flames rushed towards her and she let out a scream as it drew closer. When she opened her eyes, she was standing in front of the sanctum; only it was blanketed in white snow.

"Alex!" she screamed as she struck his hand. She was terrified and tears streamed down her face. "I want to go home!" she sobbed.

"I want to go home," she whispered with determination as she searched Alex. She found a leather pouch in his breast pocket. Contained within was the black eye. She winced as she placed it in her palm. Again, it rolled over in her hand and revealed the sinister-looking eye. "Take me to Isaac," she asked it.

She saw the Dusk Rider at sea. She found it ravaged by horrible sea monsters, however. Isaac was on the deck of the ship, fighting them off. He was covered in terrible wounds and was barely holding them off. Fear filled Mia and she shut the image out of her mind. It was too late. She felt water rush into her nose and mouth and she opened her eyes to find herself underwater. But she wasn't drowning.

She looked around and found herself in what seemed to be open ocean. The water was lifeless—no fish, no plants. Her eyes caught a glimmer of light below her. Light danced below her in the same manner that light plays upon the surface of the ocean. Feeling disoriented, she dove deeper toward the light. Her hand reached through the light and she felt herself fall out of the water and into more light. Blinding, all encompassing light…

"Is that you?" she moaned as she shielded her eyes.

"Yes. You are safe here."

"Where are we?" she asked the familiar voice.

"We are bathing in the light of the Mercury Star."

"Are we in Imil, then?"

"I only wish it were that simple, Mia."

She looked at him closely as her eyes adjusted to the light. Picard looked calm and he was dressed in a brilliant white gown. His sword was missing as well as his trademark headband. "I don't quite understand."

"We are Mercury adepts. Water is our element and Mercury is our star. She guides and protects us from harm so long as we implore her aid. Your life must have been in grave danger and you sought her aid," he explained.

"No," she continued. "I stole Alex's stone. The one he found when we were children. I had a feeling that was what gave him the power to warp a teleport lapis. I tried to find you and the others, but I saw horrible images and closed my mind."

"Mercury protected you, as I was protected," he continued.

"Where is everyone else then? Where is Isaac?"

"I am afraid we cannot rejoin them," he sighed. He saw Mia grow worried. "Don't worry. We're not quite dead yet. We can rejoin them at the Mercury lighthouse once Hama translates the summon."

"Summon?"

"If you try to call your Djinn, they won't come. They must call us. We are the same as Neptune, Nereid, Azul, and the other spirits under Mercury. But the Lemurians knew a special kind of summon. The kind that can bring us back from where we are."

Mia was scared again, but she trusted Picard. The Mercury clan had always trusted the Lemurians and their deep, ancient magic. She only wished she could do more to help the others. "At least I have the stone," she told Picard. She held it out to him and he examined it with the same curiosity she had as a child. "It will take him longer to reach Isaac."

Picard smiled. "He's a lucky one to have you."


	16. Rehabilitation

**Shadow**: Sorry about the delay in updating. I guess time just got away with me with the start of the new semester. I'll try and have the next chapter up soon as well since it' already in progress.

**Chapter Fifteen: Rehabilitation**

"Still feeling like you're going to barf?"

"Not really," mumbled Garet as he struggled to sit up.

"Hey, take it easy," Isaac cautioned as he placed a supportive hand on his friend's shoulder. One week had passed since their attack and Garet had been slowly recovering from the toxin from the darts. Slowly, he was progressing towards recovery. "You keep pushing yourself. Don't make yourself sick again."

"I'm fine, don't worry about me," Garet replied as he shrugged Isaac's hand away. "We need to get back to sea. I've kept us here too long." He placed a hand against the straw mattress and pushed himself up.

Isaac opened his mouth to reply, but Garet began to sway, and he grabbed him quickly before he crashed down to the floor. "For Venus's sake!" he yelled. "Here, I'm going to help you back to the ship. I'm not going to let you wreck yourself."

Garet managed a weak smile as he and Isaac limped out of the hut for the first time since the attack. The sun felt good against his pale skin and for a moment, he felt like he could float all the way up to the clouds. That's when he thought of Jenna. In between bouts of vomiting and feverish nightmares, he remembered the moments when Jenna sat at his side, placing a cool towel against his forehead. Though Garet strongly disliked feeling patronized, he enjoyed every moment of Jenna's care. But before Garet could get too lost in his daydreams, Isaac gave him a nudge.

"Pick up your feet. I can't drag you all by myself," he laughed.

At the ship, the group clapped for Garet as he left Isaac's side and walked over to them by himself. He saw Jenna standing near her brother and felt himself gravitating toward her presence. She gave him an awkward smile when she noticed he was walking towards her. "Glad to see you're feeling better," she laughed. "Try not to be a hero next time."

After a week on land, Jenna had become accustomed to the constant steadiness under her feet. The pitch and roll of the sea was a long lost friend to her as she made her way down the hall. These waters seemed especially foreign to her now—it had been years since they had been this far north in the Eastern Sea. Felix was set on finding his way back to Lemuria in the hopes of finding his lost companion. But without the Lemurian's guidance, it was becoming a near impossibility to find their way back to the lost city.

"Hello?" Garet asked from behind his bedroom door. Jenna knocked quietly before entering.

"It's just me," she said as she poked her head inside.

"Oh!" He quickly began gathering up some papers, which were scattered across his bed. In the process, some fluttered toward the ground out of reach.

Jenna bent down to offer help. "Please, don't!" Garet shouted. Papers in hand, she looked back at him with a puzzled expression.

"Sorry for intruding on such a private affair," she scoffed as she handed the papers back to him. She had a suspicion as to what this was all about, but she tried not to think about it as she began to leave.

"Jenna," he began. "I'm sorry for yelling. It's just that…this was supposed to be for you." He began to fumble with the papers in an attempt to put them in some type of order. Jenna turned around to watch him. "It's a thank-you note."

Never before had she seen him so nervous. "A thank you for what?"

"For helping to take care of me when I was sick?" he said in a matter-of-fact way. "Don't feel too special, I was writing one for everyone."

"So, were you using your new extended vocabulary to write my letter?" she jabbed as she walked back over to him. With a devilish smile, she leaned over to try to peek at her letter. "You did say you were trying to impress me."

"I did?" Garet noticed Jenna's advances and quickly snatched the paper away. "It's not finished yet."

"Well let me proof-read the others for you while you finish mine," she offered as she attempted to take the others from him.

"That's quite alright," he said smugly. "I was using my dictionary, so there are no spelling errors."

Jenna laughed as she leapt towards him. He stepped back to avoid her, dangling the papers just out of reach. Their playful teasing eventually turned to roughhousing and Jenna tackled the still sickly Garet. He began to lose his balance and reached for Jenna's arm as he began to fall backwards. Too heavy for her to support, he took her with him and they both fell onto the bed in a giggly mess.

"You let me take you down like that," Jenna laughed as she slapped him on the chest.

"Me? Never," Garet smirked. She narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms. Wisps of hair fell onto her face while she lay next to him and he couldn't resist the urge to brush them back for her. Her expression softened as his hand lingered near her face.

"Garet, are you really trying to impress me?" she asked softly.

"Maybe." The moment felt right and he knew he had to act. He slowly inched his face closer towards hers. Jenna did the same as they were pulled towards each other. Their lips met briefly before they both drew back to examine each other.

"Do you think it worked?" she whispered. And like two magnets, their lips met once again, only with more passion.

"I think so," Garet replied once they parted. He wore the biggest smile as he gazed back at Jenna. Shyly, she returned a smile. They stared at each other for a moment, taking in what just happened.

"Jenna, I…" Garet began. He had to tell her now. The words were just slipping off his tongue and were beyond his control. But before they loosed themselves, Jenna sprang up and ran from the room in a crimson streak. Garet sat up and watched the door slam. "Jenna!" He leapt up and followed her out into the hallway. Her auburn ponytail bounced into a doorway and the door slammed shut behind it.

On the other side of the door, Jenna stood bewildered. She was unaware of her roommate sitting up in bed, looking equally as confused. "Jenna? What's going on?"

"The weirdest thing just happened," she stammered, acknowledging Sheba's presence. The Jupiter adept's eyes grew wide with curiosity. "I just kissed Garet."

Sheba's jaw dropped. "You kissed him?"

"He kissed me, I kissed him," she moaned as she flopped down on her bed. "I don't know! We were joking around about something and then all of a sudden we were kissing."

"Interesting development. I had a feeling," she began. Jenna shot a furious look at her. "OK, maybe I knew because I read his mind that he cares about you," she babbled, waving her hands.

"But I don't think I care about him as anything more than one of my best friends. Sheba, what am I going to do?"

"You don't have _any_ feelings for him?" Jenna began to feel Sheba creeping into her mind while questioning her.

"Don't," she said, slamming her mind shut.

"You have to feel something, Jenna. Why else would you have let him kiss you? At least acknowledge those feelings." Jenna sighed and buried her face into her pillow. The battle against Valukar replayed in her memory.

"_Flash!" Jenna shut her eyes as she waited for the inevitable. But when she heard a louder cry come from the beast, she opened her eyes. Garet was standing over her, a Mars Djinni at his command. When the firewall disappeared, he turned back and gave her a smile._

_"Garet?" she stammered._

_"It's OK," he replied. "I won't let him…"_

_"Look out!" she shouted. Garet spun around and saw a wave of flames coming towards him. He quickly raised his hand and cast Protect, but he still received some of the damage from the Mars summon. Jenna picked up the Atropos Rod lying beside her and aimed it at Valukar. "Life Shear!" Her most prized weapon did not fail her as the golden Fury leapt forth._

_The force of her attack sent Valukar flying back. She could see the energy draining from his body as he struggled to collect himself. She looked down at the weapon clenched in her hands. Never before had she felt so much power come from it. 'Where did you come from?' she asked the weapon surreptitiously. _

"_Jenna," Garet's voice stammered. "That attack, it was amazing!" She looked back at him. He was kneeling on the ground, clutching his arm and grimacing in pain. His right arm was covered in burns and cuts. _

"_Cool Aura." She placed her hands on his wounds and smiled at him. "Thank you for protecting me."_

"_I won't let you get hurt," he said sternly. His eyes grew wide with fear again as he saw Valukar lumber towards them. He quickly drew Jenna close to him and cast another Protect spell as Valukar brought his hammer down. She wasn't sure if it was because of Garet's spell or simply the heat of battle, but Jenna felt a warm sensation come over her body. Not only was this feeling comforting, it was safe._

"Interesting yet again," Sheba mused. Jenna jumped a little when she realized Sheba had been witnessing the same memories simultaneously. "About the Atropis Rod, of course."

"I've never felt so much power come from it before," she replied, following Sheba's lead.

"See? You felt something." Sheba gave Jenna an encouraging nod before returning to her book.

It was Isaac's turn at the helm that night. Felix had explained to him the course to Lemuria, but Isaac felt more lost than ever before. He kept looking down at the map at his side and up at the stars to confirm their location. He heard heavy footsteps behind him and looked up to see Garet standing beside him.

"What am I doing?" he sighed.

"Good question. What are you doing? It's late and you should be in bed," Isaac laughed as he looked at the vast sea ahead of them.

"No, I mean with Jenna," Garet sighed again. Isaac rolled his eyes as he waited for it. "I kissed her."

Isaac was suddenly interested. "You did? What happened?"

"She ran away," he moaned. "I tried to tell her, but the minute I opened my mouth, she ran off!"

Isaac was about to reply, when a cannonball whizzed above his head. There was a loud explosion as it splintered the mast. "Not again," Isaac growled as he turned to face their aggressor. A fleet of ships was gaining on them fast.

"What's going on?" Felix shouted as he ran towards them. Another cannonball struck the water beside the ship. He looked back to examine the fleet growing ever closer. "I know those banners," he mused as he inspected the ships. "It's Alhafra. They never give up, do they?"

"Duck!" Isaac shouted as another cannonball struck the remnants of the mast, sending a shower of splinters down upon them. The barrage continued as the Dusk Rider tried desperately to escape.

"We have to return fire!" Felix commanded. He ran towards the cannon and motioned towards Isaac and Garet. "Get me ammunition. I won't lose Picard's ship."

Felix loaded the ship's single cannon and fired. His shot missed, landing in the sea beside the first opposing ship. They returned fire, striking the left wing. With a curse beneath his breath, Felix fired again. By now, everyone onboard was awake, standing on the deck prepared to fight in anyway that he or she could. His second shot was successful in inflicting minimal damage. Before he had time to react, there was an explosion at the stern of the ship feet away from him. The ship gave a creak and then a moan as it began to sink slowly.

"Now what do we do?" Sheba moaned as she clung to Ivan.

"We can only hope Alex will spare us," Ivan sighed as the first Alhafran ship pulled up beside them.


End file.
